NewsRoom Notes: Congress takes aim at organized cargo theft
Summary
Congressional action is advancing to tackle a sharp rise in organised cargo and retail theft. The House Judiciary Committee has approved H.R. 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (CORCA), a bipartisan bill designed to modernise federal enforcement for large‑scale theft operations that span jurisdictions and exploit both physical and online resale channels.
CORCA would expand federal authority under Title 18 to aggregate related theft cases, create a DHS‑led Crime Coordination Centre for better intelligence sharing, raise penalties for interstate/international cargo theft, and strengthen public–private cooperation among agencies, law enforcement, retailers and transport providers.
Key Points
- CORCA (H.R. 2853) passed the House Judiciary Committee and moves toward floor consideration.
- The bill lets prosecutors combine smaller theft incidents into larger organised‑crime cases under federal law (Title 18).
- A proposed DHS Crime Coordination Centre would centralise intelligence sharing and joint enforcement across the supply chain.
- Penalties would increase for organised cargo theft, especially when goods cross state or national borders.
- Industry groups—TIA, ATA, AAR and NRF—support the bill; they highlight huge economic losses (TIA estimates up to $35 billion annually) and large percentage increases in strategic theft.
Context and Relevance
Cargo theft has evolved from opportunistic smash‑and‑grab incidents into coordinated, multi‑jurisdictional enterprises that harm carriers, retailers and consumers. With trucking moving about three‑quarters of US freight, the trucking sector and railways report rising losses and disruption. The legislation recognises theft as a national economic and public safety problem and aims to close enforcement gaps that allow organised rings to prosper.
For logistics and security teams, CORCA signals potential changes in enforcement, reporting expectations and collaboration opportunities with federal agencies — and could influence insurance, routing and security investments if passed.
Why should I read this?
Because this could change how theft is prosecuted and how your shipments are protected — fast. If you work in shipping, warehousing, distribution or retail, this bill aims to shift the playbook from patchy local responses to coordinated federal action. Short version: lawmakers are finally treating cargo theft like the organised, costly menace it is, so it matters to your bottom line and risk plans.
Author style
Punchy — this update highlights a potentially game‑changing legislative step. If CORCA becomes law, the rules of engagement for supply‑chain security and enforcement will shift; read the detail to understand immediate operational and compliance impacts.