Cook County Sheriff’s Police led a 24-hour operation targeting cargo theft networks across the United States. The National Supply Chain Blitz ran Sept. 23-24, according to an operational plan provided by Cook County. Federal, state and local authorities participated alongside railroad police and private security organizations. Teams coordinated enforcement and intelligence across multiple jurisdictions.
The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations joined the effort. Illinois State Police and Chicago Police Department also participated. Railroad partners included Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, BNSF Railway and CSX. Industry groups included CargoNet, TAPA, Overhaul, LPRC, Class8 and 3SI Security Systems.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office led the operation under Sheriff Tom Dart. Commander Michael Ware served as incident commander. Cook County’s Cargo Task Force, Organized Retail Crime Unit and Community Safety Team participated. Officials described the effort as the nation’s first coordinated operation focused specifically on cargo theft.
$635,000 in stolen cargo recovered
The operation resulted in arrests and approximately $635,000 in recovered stolen cargo, according to Cook County. Officials have not yet released the number of people taken into custody. Final statistics from participating agencies remain pending. A broader summary will follow once those numbers are compiled…