The number of cargo thefts increased markedly in 2025, and the value of the goods stolen increased as well as crooks focused on high-value items.
Verisk CargoNet, a company focused on cargo theft prevention and recovery, reports that incidents involving confirmed cargo theft increased 18% year-over-year from 2,243 to 2,646. And, the average value per theft rose to $273,990, up 36 percent from $202,364 in 2024.
CargoNet recorded 3,594 supply chain crime events across the U.S. and Canada in 2025. That number is essentially unchanged from the 3,607 events reported in 2024.
RELATED NEWS: 6 sentenced for their roles in theft of numerous loaded tractor-trailers
Geographically, theft activity continued to expand beyond traditional hotspots. California remained the most impacted state with 1,218 incidents. However, CargoNet said activity shifted away from Los Angeles County (down 11%) toward historically lower-risk regions such as Kern County (up 82%) and San Joaquin County (up 44%).
Several other states saw significant increases, including New Jersey (up 50% ), Indiana (up 30%), and Pennsylvania (up 24%).
Shifts in targeted commodities were also notable, according to CargoNet's analysis. Food and beverage products experienced the largest increase, with 708 thefts, a 47% jump from 2024. Meat and seafood products and tree nuts were particularly affected, with trends varying by region. Meat and seafood were heavily targeted in the Northeast, especially New Jersey. Tree nut thefts were more common on the West Coast.
Metal theft rose 77%, driven by ongoing demand for copper products.
Meanwhile, theft of consumer-grade electronics such as televisions and personal computers declined. In contrast, criminals increasingly targeted enterprise computer components and cryptocurrency mining hardware, according to CargoNet.
Vehicle related products - including tires, auto parts, and motor oils -also remained attractive, with a notable focus on engines and components bound for domestic vehicle assembly plants.
“Criminal enterprises are becoming more selective and sophisticated, targeting extremely high value shipments rather than relying on opportunistic theft,” said Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at Verisk CargoNet. “This strategic shift explains how losses can rise 60 percent even as overall incident volume holds steady.”
CargoNet expects continued targeting of high-value technology products in 2026, particularly RAM modules, storage drives, and enterprise computing equipment. Theft by deception groups are anticipated to increase their focus on misdirecting shipments tendered to legitimate carriers, sidestepping compliance controls that have traditionally centered on the tendering process itself.
CargoNet is also monitoring national developments concerning non-domiciled CDL enforcement. Many complex cargo theft schemes rely on acquiring existing motor carriers with strong load histories. Increased enforcement may reduce available capacity and expand the pool of carriers for sale, potentially creating new opportunities for criminal enterprises to establish fraudulent operations.
