[AI](/news/ai/)
[AI HARDWARE](/news/tag/ai-hardware/)
[AI INFRASTRUCTURE](/news/tag/ai-infrastructure/)
[CALIFORNIA](/news/tag/california/)
[CARGO THEFT](/news/tag/cargo-theft/)
[LOGISTICS FRAUD](/news/tag/logistics-fraud/)
[NVIDIA](/news/tag/nvidia/)
[SUPPLY CHAIN SECURITY](/news/tag/supply-chain-security/)
- Two AI hardware shipments traveling from Silicon Valley to Southern California disappeared after escort vehicles were disabled in separate road attacks. [1] - One escort was rear-ended in a hit-and-run; another was forced into a spin using a PIT maneuver. [2] - Investigators suspect the truck drivers were involved and that recently transferred motor-carrier numbers were used to book the freight. [1] - Verisk CargoNet documented 677 supply-chain theft incidents in the U.S. and Canada in Q2 2026, while estimated losses reached $304.6 million. [1] - The FBI has warned that criminals are using impersonated carriers, compromised accounts and fraudulent freight documents to redirect high-value shipments.
[5] Cargo thieves hijacked two shipments of AI data-center hardware on California roads in recent months after separate attacks disabled the private security vehicles escorting the freight, according to industry investigators cited by WIRED and Tom’s Hardware. Both loads were traveling from Silicon Valley to Southern California, and neither truck has been recovered. [1][2]
In one incident, a vehicle rear-ended the escort and fled. In the other, a separate car forced the escort into a spin using a precision immobilization technique, or PIT maneuver. The semitrucks continued without their escorts and disappeared. [2]
The incidents were corroborated by J.J. Coughlin, chairman of the Southwest Transportation Security Council, and Danny Ramon, director of intelligence and response at freight-monitoring company Overhaul. WIRED said it could not independently confirm the cases with five state and local law-enforcement agencies because details were being withheld from ongoing investigations. [2]
The Attacks #
Gerardo Pachuca, a former Los Angeles sheriff’s detective who now consults on cargo crime, said the escort attacks appeared designed to separate the security vehicles from the loads they were protecting. He said investigators believe the truck drivers were complicit, although no arrests had been reported in the accounts reviewed. [1][2]
Ramon described the rear-ending incident as a “coordinated assault” affecting a shipment of AI hardware. Pachuca characterized the broader cargo-theft environment as “the worst I’ve seen,” citing the methods, value and frequency of the crimes. [2]
A More Valuable Target #
Verisk CargoNet documented 677 supply-chain theft incidents across the United States and Canada in the second quarter of 2026, down 26% from a year earlier. Estimated losses rose from $135.7 million to $304.6 million over the same period, while the average theft with a reported value reached $564,009. [1]
Enterprise computing and networking equipment ranked among the most targeted cargo categories. Verisk said shipments worth several million dollars routinely move as conventional dry freight without specialized security. [1]
Tom’s Hardware reported that Nvidia’s DGX B300 server was selling in China for more than $1.1 million against a U.S. price of roughly $550,000, creating a market in which stolen equipment can command a premium overseas. [1]
Carrier-Identity Fraud #
The two California thefts reportedly involved motor-carrier numbers that had recently changed hands. That tactic allows criminals to book freight under a legitimate company’s federal registration and present apparently valid carrier documentation to shippers and brokers. [1][2]
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a March 19, 2026, bulletin warning that USDOT numbers and operating authority cannot be sold, purchased or leased outside legitimate corporate transactions. The agency said it can inactivate registrations and revoke related operating authority when those rules are violated. [4]
The FBI separately warned in April that cyber-enabled cargo-theft groups are compromising broker and carrier accounts, posting fraudulent loads, altering bills of lading and transferring freight to complicit drivers for resale. [5]
California Freight Exposure #
California’s Highway Patrol operates a Cargo Theft Interdiction Program covering the Los Angeles, Inland Empire, San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego regions. The agency identifies those areas as major distribution centers connected by ports, airports, warehouses, rail systems and freeway networks. [6]
The CHP says organized theft groups use hijackings, fictitious pickups, counterfeit paperwork, pilferage and prearranged warehouses to move stolen cargo. The agency also notes that cargo-theft losses extend beyond the value of the goods to include downtime, replacement vehicles, additional paperwork and higher insurance costs. [6]
Overhaul has advised shippers using escorts to establish procedures for any separation between the escort and transport vehicle, maintain covert tracking and monitoring, independently verify carriers and drivers, and escalate immediately when a theft is suspected. [3]
Companies mentioned #
Further sources #
[1] Tom’s Hardware, “Cargo thieves ram security escorts to hijack AI hardware shipm… ↗
[2] WIRED, “‘The Worst I’ve Ever Seen’: Cargo Thefts Have Turned Violent in Pursuit… ↗
[3] Truck News, “Security firm warns of new tactic targeting escort-protected shipm… ↗
[[4] Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, “DO NOT Sell, Purchase, or Lease a… ↗](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/do-not-sell-purchase-or-lease-usdot-mc-number)
[[5] FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, “Cyber-Enabled Strategic Cargo Theft Surgi… ↗](https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2026/PSA260430)
[[6] California Highway Patrol, “Cargo Theft Interdiction Program.” ↗](https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-services/programs/cargo-theft-interdiction-program2/)
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