A California congressman has the United States’ growing cargo theft problem in his sights.
U.S. Rep. David G. Valadao, R-Calif., this week introduced the Safeguarding our Supply Chains Act, which aims to stop “the rampant theft within our nation’s supply chains.”
The American Trucking Associations praised Valadao earlier this month for his work leading Homeland Security Investigations to establish a $2 million Supply Chain Fraud and Theft Task Force. The 2025 Department of Homeland Security funding bill directs the task force to work with multiple agencies, such as the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Valadao told FreightWaves he hopes that increased information sharing will bust the thieves.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that cargo theft amounts to $15 billion to $30 billion each year. Class I railroad theft jumped from $13.8 million to $33.7 million from 2021 to 2022, Valadao said. CargoNet, a data-sharing system, reported that the first quarter of 2024 saw a 46% increase in cargo theft compared to the same period last year.
Valadao, who is a dairy farmer, said cargo theft has long been on his radar after hearing stories of cargo theft rings tricking processing plants into handing over expensive cargo.
“We think there’s more to this than random theft going on,” he said, adding that he hopes the bill will draw attention to the growing issue, the cost of which is passed on to consumers.
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The new bill will complement the task force’s work and create a Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within HSI. The bill would require the task force to issue a report within 180 days following enactment about the effectiveness of the initiative.
It also would:
- Enhance law enforcement collaboration.
- Track theft trends.
- Establish relationships with those affected in the private sector.
“ATA commends Congressman Valadao for introducing legislation to address this alarming trend and safeguard our supply chain,” ATA Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs Henry Hanscom said in a statement. “The Supply Chain Fraud and Theft Task Force created by this bill would strengthen the partnership between motor carriers, law enforcement, the government, and other supply chain partners to strike an effective blow against organized crime.”
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