As families across the country prepared to celebrate Christmas, criminals were busy playing the Grinch. On Christmas Eve, a $400,000 shipment of live lobsters headed to Costco warehouses in Illinois and Minnesota disappeared after being picked up in Massachusetts. Posing as a legitimate trucking company, thieves disabled the truck’s GPS and disappeared with the cargo, a calculated act of freight theft now under investigation by the FBI.
As brutal as it sounds, this was not a one-off robbery. Thieves recently made off with two truckloads of 24,000 bottles of Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar’s Santo Tequila – worth more than $1 million – using fake carrier identities, spoofed emails and manipulated tracking systems to reroute the freight. These high-profile robberies are symptoms of a nationwide epidemic caused by organized theft groups exploiting digital platforms, stolen identities, and fraudulent credentials to hijack the U.S. supply chain. Cargo theft now costs the trucking industry $6.6 billion per year, or more than $18 million per day. These losses translate into higher insurance premiums, expensive security investments and operational disruptions. Because nearly three-quarters of stolen freight is never recovered, consumers ultimately pay the price at the checkout.
As they have done for decades, bandits still stalk tractor trailers and strike when stopped at a rest stop or even a traffic light. But strategic theft targeting freight transport – often involving complex techniques such as fictitious pickup and identity fraud – has increased by 1,500% since 2022. The rapid digitalization of the supply chain has exposed cyber vulnerabilities that organized theft groups exploit to steal cargo remotely.
US TRUCK INDUSTRY URGES LAWLATORS TO ACT AS ONLINE CARGO THEFT INCREASES
According to transportation security firm CargoNet, food and beverages accounted for the majority of thefts in 2024, with dramatic spikes in the volume of meat and beverages in 2025. Criminals favor these items because they are easy to resell and difficult to trace. A broken seal can condemn an entire shipment, and perishable goods rarely result in prompt law enforcement.
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The consequences extend beyond higher prices. Retailers across the country have announced store closures, with executives citing persistent theft as a contributing factor. When stores close their doors, communities can lose access to groceries, pharmacies and essential services, increasing food deserts and economic pressure. And with food prices top of mind for voters this election year, lawmakers must tackle the issue head-on.
That’s why we’re encouraged that the House Judiciary Committee developed the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA), which would finally give law enforcement the tools to investigate and prosecute organized cargo theft, improve reporting, and strengthen public-private partnerships. Without clear federal jurisdiction, real-time data sharing, or coordination, law enforcement is currently fighting these criminals with one hand tied behind their back. CORCA would change that.
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But a vote in committee is not enough. CORCA must now pass the full House and Senate and be signed into law so that consumers, truckers and American businesses are better protected at a time when grocery prices are already increasing household budgets.
If Congress doesn’t act, the next headline won’t just be about missing lobsters or stolen tequila. It will be about higher prices and growing uncertainty for American families. Let’s make sure this is the moment lawmakers act to defend our supply chain, our businesses and the American consumer.
