A Team of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division Troopers Having Great Success with Cargo Theft Investigations

Cargo theft in the commercial vehicle industry is a serious and every growing crime in the United States.  Cargo theft is being perpetrated by highly organized groups relying on the complicated nature of interstate communication and enforcement.  These criminal entities are exploiting various types of fraud, including the continuing chameleon carrier issue, forgery, and multiple instances of re-brokering of the same load to hide illicit intent and give the appearance they are a legitimate commercial motor carrier.  This fraud can include:
 

• the creation of forged documents from legitimate carriers
• USDOT number theft and use of other fake carrier identification documents
• the use of multiple USDOT numbers and carrier names
• fraudulent electronic logging device data hiding the vehicle’s true location and route of travel. 

Several ISP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) Troopers recently attended Cargo theft training and are conducting successful investigations.  Many of the investigations are on-going and are producing additional leads.  Since April of 2026 this team of CVED Troopers have recovered approximately 12 semi-trailer loads of stolen cargo in north-central, central and south-central Indiana.  The cargo recoveries have included a wide range of goods.  The estimated value of the cargo recovered thus far is more than $11 million dollars.  The Troopers are using long standing and proven investigative techniques coupled with emerging technologies to identify, track, and successfully recover stolen cargo.  Multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies have assisted in these investigations, and several suspects have been arrested or detained on criminal charges.

Cargo theft is a lucrative and growing crime.  Those involved in the legitimate cargo transportation industry should be aware of the signs of possible cargo theft.  Signs include:
 

• transportation fees which are well below industry standards
• commercial vehicles marked with a carrier name different than what was expected
• unprofessional/low quality/temporary or easily changeable vehicle markings
• mismatched/changing carrier contact information (emails, phone numbers, contact persons)
• requests for rerouting of cargo in-transit, and multiple incidents of load re-brokering.

Often a call to the expected, legitimate carrier can help you avoid becoming the victim of cargo theft.  If you believe you are a victim of cargo theft, or if you have information regarding cargo thefts, contact your local law enforcement agency or nearest Indiana State Police Post to file a report. 

These investigations continue to be ongoing and as such, no additional information will be released.