Cargo theft in the United States reached a record level in 2024, with stolen goods and estimated losses exceeding $1 bn for the first time and rising another 27% in 2025, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reported to federal lawmakers.
- Cargo theft losses have risen steadily over the past decade, driven by organized crime networks.
- Estimates from industry and law enforcement indicate annual direct losses of $1 bn–$3 bn, though some experts believe much goes unreported and the true figure is higher.
- Incidents are underreported because companies fear reputational harm and disruptions to contracts.
NICB partners with insurance companies, consumers and law enforcement to combat insurance fraud and theft through the combination of intelligence and analytics, investigations, and learning development.
Cargo theft refers to the criminal taking of goods from trucks, trailers, warehouses, ports, or rail yards.
It is a persistent and growing problem in the U.S. logistics and insurance industries, costing billions annually in stolen goods, investigative expenses, higher insurance premiums, and supply chain disruptions.
In testimony before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, NICB Chief Executive Officer David J. Glawe stated that cargo theft losses are projected to increase an additional 22% by the end of 2025.
Glawe used his testimony to urge congressional action and support for HR 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which was referred to the House Judiciary Committee in April.
HR 2853 proposes the creation of an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center and includes provisions to strengthen federal laws governing stolen goods, interstate shipments, and money laundering.
The bill also seeks to equip law enforcement with tools to address retail crime similarly to how theft elsewhere in the supply chain is prosecuted, according to its text.
Between 2019 and 2023, larceny incidents rose 93%, and the average dollar loss per incident grew 90%, according to findings cited in HR 2853. In 2024, the average value of goods stolen per incident exceeded $202,000.
Glawe noted that these thefts are not carried out by small or opportunistic groups but by well-financed, sophisticated criminal organizations.
These criminal networks exploit supply chain weaknesses and misuse new technologies to fund other illegal activities, including drug and weapons trafficking and terrorism. Consumers feel the consequences through higher prices.
NICB Chief Executive Officer David J. Glawe
Over the past 18 months, NICB participated in more than 240 cargo theft investigations, which resulted in over 70 recoveries totaling nearly $40 mn in stolen goods.
