Coordinated multistate operation uses infrared drones to target cargo train thieves

The short version

• CBS News reports federal agents, railroad police and law enforcement in more than two dozen states ran a one-night national operation against train cargo thieves.[CBS News]
• Infrared drones detect heat signatures along tracks and in rail yards, and ground squads move in quietly to seal off exits.[CBS News]
• The Department of Homeland Security estimates cargo theft costs the U.S. $15 billion to $35 billion a year, but the reporting includes no arrest or recovery totals from the operation.[CBS News]
• Cook County's sheriff calls the crime too big to ignore, and Illinois ranks third nationally for cargo theft per Verisk Cargonet data.[CBS News]

Key facts

• Federal agents, railroad police and law enforcement from more than two dozen states carried out a coordinated national operation on the same night, according to CBS News.[CBS News]
• Infrared drone technology detects heat signatures along train tracks and in rail yards and relays information to ground officers.[CBS News]
• The Department of Homeland Security estimates cargo theft costs the United States between $15 billion and $35 billion a year.[CBS News]
• The FBI says reported cargo theft losses in the United States and Canada reached nearly $725 million in 2025, up about 60 percent from 2024.[CBS News]
• Illinois ranks third nationally for cargo theft, behind California and Texas, according to Verisk Cargonet.[CBS News]
• In one demonstrated case, CBS News was shown video of two men breaking the seals on a container holding about $35,000 worth of electronics.[CBS News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Firsthand look at the high-tech hunt for cargo thievesCBS News - Top Stories