By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona lawmakers have sent Gov. Katie Hobbs a bill creating a statewide cargo theft task force as law enforcement agencies report organized theft crews targeting freight along the state’s rail and trucking corridors.
Senate Bill 1452, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Payne (R-LD27), would require the Arizona Attorney General, subject to legislative appropriation, to establish a Cargo Theft Task Force to combat crimes involving theft, diversion, embezzlement, unlawful taking, or fraudulent acquisition of cargo or freight.
Under the bill, the Attorney General would invite federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to participate in the task force. The task force would focus on offenses involving cargo moving in, constituting, or affecting interstate or intrastate commerce.
The proposed task force would include one full-time prosecutor, one full-time paralegal, one full-time support staff member, six investigators, and any additional law enforcement personnel designated by the Attorney General.
The task force would be required to meet regularly to review investigations and intelligence, provide updates on ongoing cases, investigate and recommend prosecutions for organized or repeat offenders, review cases referred by law enforcement agencies, and coordinate with law enforcement and industry stakeholders to identify emerging cargo theft trends and prevention strategies.
The bill defines cargo as merchandise, goods, or wares transported or intended to be transported in commerce, including goods at any stage of the supply chain from origin to final destination. It defines cargo theft to include unlawful taking or appropriation of cargo or freight through fraud, deception, misrepresentation, or identity manipulation from a commercial motor vehicle, trailer, railcar, intermodal container, warehouse, freight facility, distribution center, or other location within the supply chain.
The task force would also be required to submit an annual report beginning July 1, 2027, to the governor, Senate president, and House speaker, with a copy provided to the Secretary of State. The report would include summaries of investigations, prosecutions, enforcement actions, cargo theft trends and patterns, recovered cargo, restitution, forfeited assets, and recommendations for legislative or policy action.
The Senate Republican Caucus said Arizona’s position as a major transportation and logistics hub for the Southwest makes the state vulnerable to cargo theft schemes targeting trucks, warehouses, freight facilities, and supply chains.
“Cargo theft is not a victimless crime,” Payne said. “When organized criminals steal truckloads of merchandise, food, medical supplies, or other goods moving through our supply chains, the cost doesn’t simply disappear. Businesses lose inventory, consumers pay higher prices, and law enforcement is left chasing increasingly sophisticated criminal operations that often cross city, county, and state boundaries.”
Payne said Arizona’s location makes it a critical transportation corridor and a target for organized cargo theft.
“SB 1452 gives law enforcement another tool to identify criminal networks, recover stolen property, hold offenders accountable, and better protect the businesses, workers, and families who depend on a secure and reliable supply chain,” Payne said. “At a time when Americans are already struggling with the cost of everyday necessities, we should be doing everything possible to stop organized theft from making those costs even worse.”
The legislation comes as Arizona law enforcement agencies have reported organized cargo theft activity along the state’s rail corridors. FreightWaves reported Wednesday that two men were arrested and more than $500,000 in merchandise was recovered after a train burglary near Meteor Crater, west of Winslow.
According to the report, Coconino County investigators received a report on May 29 that several individuals were removing merchandise from a stopped BNSF Railway train and loading it into a van and box truck parked near the tracks. Authorities later stopped the van and arrested Jaime Beltran-Bojorquez, 32, and Gerardo Mares Vazquez, 28. Investigators said a second vehicle fled from deputies before crashing near Williams, and two unidentified suspects fled on foot and remained at large.
Detective Curtis Peery of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office told FreightWaves that investigators are encountering both independent theft crews and organized criminal networks operating in the region. Peery told AZFamily that Northern Arizona sees “somewhere between 8 to 12 events a month.”
Peery told FreightWaves that electronics and clothing are among the most frequently targeted commodities because they can be quickly resold. He said the remote locations of many rail thefts make investigations more difficult and that coordination among agencies has been critical. “When we as departments work together that is where we have been the most effective and successful at combating these criminal organizations,” he added.
Cargo theft has become a growing concern for the trucking industry and law enforcement agencies nationwide. In a June 4 report, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, citing reporting from Transport Topics and industry data, said truckers nationwide are experiencing freight theft at a rate of $18 million per day. The report also noted that cargo theft schemes increasingly include deceptive pickups, fake identities, forged credentials, and carrier impersonation.
Tony Bradley, president and CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association, previously testified in support of SB 1452 before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. According to Land Line, Bradley told lawmakers cargo theft has become “a very sophisticated international crime issue” and identified Arizona as a hotspot.
Bradley said trucking industry members have increasingly contacted the association for help after cargo theft incidents and said a central point of coordination through the Attorney General’s Office could help law enforcement across all 15 counties.
SB 1452 follows similar efforts in other states to address cargo theft and organized freight crime. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported that Arkansas and Tennessee have enacted new cargo theft laws, while California and Arizona have considered task-force legislation.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
