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Senate Commerce subcommittee hears bipartisan calls for stronger federal response to rising cargo theft
Summary
Lawmakers and industry witnesses told a Senate Commerce subcommittee on March 6 that cargo theft has increased sharply, now involving transnational organized crime, identity fraud and cyber-enabled schemes, and urged Congress and DOT agencies to strengthen enforcement, vetting and interagency coordination.
A Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation subcommittee hearing on March 6 opened with witnesses and lawmakers calling for a coordinated federal response to a national surge in cargo theft that industry and law enforcement say now involves transnational criminal groups and sophisticated fraud.
The hearing featured testimony from law enforcement and private-sector logistics officials who described steep increases in thefts that target trucks and railcars, recurring identity-fraud schemes that spoof carriers and brokers, and cyber-enabled attacks that allow criminals to commandeer loads or falsify pickup documents. Witnesses urged Congress to give the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) additional authorities and resources, to create a federal task force, and to tighten registration and verification requirements for brokers and motor carriers.
Key testimony and statistics
Chief Will Johnson (Chief Special Agent, BNSF Railway Police Department; Second Vice President, International Association of Chiefs of Police) told lawmakers that strategic cargo theft has increased dramatically and urged a “whole-of-government”…
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