KEY FACTS
- Organized theft networks are disrupting the nation’s supply chain.
- These crimes often involve coordinated, repeat offenders operating across jurisdictions.
- A federal response is essential to dismantling these networks and protecting the flow of goods.
🎧 Listen to this page narrated by a real person • 4 min 21 sec • Find the full transcript at the bottom of this page.
Freight rail cargo theft is a growing threat to the U.S. supply chain, driven by organized criminal networks operating across state and national borders. These crimes disrupt shipments, increase costs for businesses and consumers, and pose safety risks to workers and communities. Addressing this challenge requires both industry investment and a coordinated federal response, including legislation like the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA).
The Growing Threat of Freight Rail Cargo Theft
Organized cargo theft has increased significantly in recent years, with criminals using sophisticated tactics to target freight rail networks. These thefts impact far more than railroads. They create supply chain delays, higher costs, and reduced reliability for businesses and consumers nationwide. Criminal groups are increasingly organized, sometimes transnational, and often exploit gaps in enforcement and prosecution. And many crimes are committed by repeat offenders, often operating across jurisdictions.
Rail cargo theft is worsening in scale, cost, and sophistication, despite substantial investments in prevention. Based on preliminary data major U.S. railroads reported more than 75,000 theft incidents at a value of over $200 million in losses for 2025. That value in losses is more than a 50% increase year-over-year. Although data limitations and evolving reporting practices* affect year‑over‑year comparability, trends clearly show escalating risk.
Impacts on the Economy and Supply Chain
Cargo theft and organized retail crime have wide-ranging consequences. Because freight rail is a backbone of U.S. commerce, these disruptions ripple across industries—from retail and manufacturing to agriculture and energy.
- Higher consumer prices due to losses, repairs, and increased security costs
- Supply chain disruptions that delay shipments and reduce reliability
- Increased safety risks for workers and communities
- Rising insurance and operating costs for freight providers and retailers
- Lost tax revenue from goods entering illicit markets
Why Industry Action Alone Isn’t Enough
Freight railroads have invested millions in security upgrades and monitoring technologies, infrastructure hardening, and coordination with law enforcement and supply chain partners. However, the nature of cargo theft—multi-state, organized, and often international—limits what individual companies can do alone. Arrest rates remain low, with estimates suggesting only about 1 in 10 theft attempts leads to an arrest. This makes clear that stronger federal coordination and enforcement tools are essential.
The Federal Solution: CORCA
The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (CORCA) is a bipartisan effort designed to address organized cargo and retail theft at the national level. CORCA recognizes that organized theft networks operate across jurisdictions; use sophisticated, coordinated tactics; and exploit online marketplaces to resell stolen goods. Key provisions of CORCA include:
- Strengthening Law Enforcement Tools
- Updates federal statutes to better target organized theft networks
- Expands money laundering and forfeiture authorities
- Enables prosecutors to combine repeated thefts into stronger cases
- Creating a National Coordination Center
- Establishes a centralized hub within Homeland Security Investigations
- Improves data sharing across federal, state, local, and private-sector partners
- Tracks trends and supports multi-agency investigations
- Supporting State and Local Enforcement
- Provides grants, training, and technical assistance to frontline agencies
A Coordinated Approach to Protect the Supply Chain
A broad coalition—including transportation companies, retailers, and law enforcement organizations—supports federal action to combat organized theft. Freight railroads and supply chain partners support CORCA as part of a broader strategy to:
- Improve coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement
- Strengthen prosecution and penalties for organized theft
- Enhance data sharing and intelligence across industries
- Protect the flow of goods across the national economy
*Disclaimer: The data provided is based on information available at the time of compilation and may be subject to change. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the data is not final and may be updated as reporting practices improve. As railroad reporting continues to evolve, figures may change over time and should not be directly compared to prior years’ statements.
Read the AAR Audio Narration
Freight Rail Cargo Theft: Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (CORCA)
This is AAR Audio, and you’re listening to Freight Rail Cargo Theft.
When you think about cargo theft, you might picture someone stealing a package from a front porch.
But some of today’s biggest thefts happen long before those packages even reach a home.
Organized criminal networks are targeting freight trains carrying everything from electronics and clothing to consumer goods and household products.
These aren’t isolated crimes.
They’re coordinated operations carried out by repeat offenders, often working across multiple states and even international borders.
The result is more than stolen cargo.
It’s a growing threat to America’s supply chain.
Freight rail is one of the main ways goods move across the country.
Every day, trains carry products to manufacturers, distribution centers, retailers, and ports.
When those shipments are interrupted, the effects spread quickly.
Deliveries are delayed.
Businesses face higher costs.
And consumers often end up paying more.
Cargo theft also creates serious safety risks.
Thieves often trespass onto railroad property.
They damage equipment.
They break into railcars.
And put both railroad employees and nearby communities at risk.
The problem is growing.
Major freight railroads reported more than 75,000 cargo theft incidents in 2025.
The value of those losses exceeded 200 million dollars.
And the problem is becoming more sophisticated.
Today’s organized theft rings often monitor shipments.
Coordinate with one another.
Move stolen goods across state lines.
And quickly resell products through online marketplaces.
These aren’t crimes of opportunity.
They’re organized criminal enterprises.
Railroads are continuing to invest in ways to stop them.
They’ve strengthened security at rail facilities.
Installed more cameras and monitoring technology.
Hardened infrastructure.
Expanded partnerships with law enforcement.
And increased information sharing across the supply chain.
Those investments help.
But they can’t solve the problem alone.
Organized theft networks don’t operate within a single city or even a single state.
They move across jurisdictions.
That makes investigations more difficult.
And it often limits what local law enforcement can do.
That’s why railroads are calling for a stronger federal response.
One proposal is the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, known as CORCA.
The legislation is designed to give law enforcement better tools to investigate and dismantle organized theft networks.
It would strengthen federal laws targeting organized cargo theft.
Improve coordination between federal, state, and local agencies.
Expand information sharing.
And establish a national coordination center to help identify trends and support multi-agency investigations.
The legislation would also provide training for state and local law enforcement.
The goal is to treat organized cargo theft like the coordinated criminal activity it has become.
Stopping cargo theft protects more than railroads.
It helps protect the entire supply chain.
When trains move safely and reliably, manufacturers receive the materials they need.
Retailers keep products on their shelves.
Businesses avoid costly disruptions.
And consumers benefit from a more dependable flow of goods.
Freight railroads will continue investing in security.
They’ll continue working with law enforcement.
And they’ll continue protecting the network that keeps America’s economy moving.
But organized cargo theft has grown beyond what any one company can solve alone.
Addressing it requires a coordinated national response.
One that strengthens enforcement.
Disrupts organized criminal networks.
And protects the supply chains Americans depend on every day.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Freight rail cargo theft is no longer isolated or opportunistic—it is organized, sophisticated, and growing. While railroads continue to invest in prevention and security, federal legislation like CORCA is critical to disrupt criminal networks, strengthen enforcement, protect supply chains, and reduce costs for consumers. A coordinated national response will help ensure the safe, efficient movement of goods that powers the U.S. economy.