Three men are facing felony burglary charges after sheriff’s police say they were caught in the act of breaking into freight railcars on Chicago’s Southwest Side late Thursday, following reports of shipping containers being pried open on a moving train near the 1200 block of West 74th Place. Officers say they found cutting tools and other evidence at the scene, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office has now filed burglary counts as the case heads to court.
According to a post by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Norfolk Southern Railroad police alerted the sheriff’s police community safety team around 11:25 p.m. Thursday after spotting several containers that appeared to have been broken into. Sheriff’s officers responded to the area and took three people into custody near the tracks, the post states.
Cargo theft has been climbing nationwide in recent years, with industry trackers and national reporting noting sharp upticks in stolen freight, including hits on trains and intermodal yards. Reporting on CargoNet’s data by DC Velocity found a year-over-year rise in incidents in 2025, and testimony cited on Congress.gov flagged tens of thousands of rail-related thefts across the country…