Report Shows Cargo Theft up 13% in 2Q as Organized Crime Targeted High-Value Goods

Supply chain theft events across the U.S. and Canada rose 13% in the second quarter from the same period in 2024, and were up 10% from the first quarter of 2025, a new report shows.

CargoNet said on Thursday it recorded 884 supply chain theft events in the second quarter, with an estimated total loss value that exceeded $128 million when applying average loss values to incidents where specific values were not reported.

The data shows an acceleration in theft activity throughout the quarter, with incidents increasing 14.6% in April, 4.4% in May and a 21.9% surge in June, according to CargoNet, which is a Verisk Analytics product.

According to the report, metals theft nearly doubled with a 96% year-over-year increase. The surge coincides with copper trading near or above record highs. This suggests that organized crime groups strategically adjust their targeting based on commodity market values, the authors of the report say.

Expert: Cargo Theft up 20% in Last Five Years

Food and beverage products saw 180 reported incidents, a 68% increase from the second quarter of 2024. That category now accounts for more than 20% of cargo thefts, with alcoholic beverages, energy drinks, and meat products being primary targets, according to CargoNet.

The average stolen shipment value was $203,586, while the top three targeted states were California, Texas, and Illinois, the report shows.

Through the rest of the year, CargoNet warns that complex cargo theft schemes involving document fraud and identity theft are becoming increasingly prevalent. These operations are often perpetrated by international organized crime groups, and continue to evolve to circumvent industry anti-fraud efforts, according to the firm.