Cook County sheriff’s cargo theft blitz recovers $635,000 in stolen freight

Cook County Sheriff’s Police led a 24‑hour National Supply Chain Blitz on Sept. 23‑24, resulting in the recovery of about $635,000 in stolen cargo. The effort, described as the nation’s first coordinated operation focused specifically on cargo theft, recovered thirty transformers worth roughly $600,000 of the total.

Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies worked with railroad police from Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, BNSF Railway and CSX, as well as private security groups such as CargoNet, TAPA, Overhaul, LPRC, Class8 and 3SI Security Systems.

“Criminal networks don’t respect jurisdictional lines,” Commander Michael Ware, incident commander said.

Officials described the effort as the nation’s first coordinated operation focused specifically on cargo theft.

What we know

• The National Supply Chain Blitz ran Sept. 23-24, according to an operational plan provided by Cook County.

• The operation resulted in arrests and approximately $635,000 in recovered stolen cargo, according to Cook County.

• Thirty stolen transformers accounted for approximately $600,000 of the recovered property.

• Investigators located the equipment on Sept. 23 at a facility in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

• The Cook County Sheriff’s Office led the operation under Sheriff Tom Dart.