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September 27, 2026 This week reinforced something those of us working organized retail crime and cargo theft have understood for some time: America’s supply chain is no longer simply a transportation system. It is an increasingly attractive operating environment for sophisticated criminal organizations. We are seeing freight fraud, fictitious pickups, cargo diversion, railroad theft, organized retail theft, narcotics trafficking and weapons movement intersect with legitimate

Explore ICTC's BSCII Certification and 16-hour Recertification programs for cargo-theft investigators, security professionals and supply-chain intelligence leaders.

September 20, 2026 This week provided some of the clearest evidence yet that organized retail crime and cargo theft cannot be effectively addressed as isolated property crimes. Across the country, investigators encountered fraudulent carrier identities, fake commercial-driver credentials, interstate retail-theft enterprises, railroad burglaries and high-value cargo diversions. At the same time, one national operation demonstrated what can happen when agencies and the private

BSCII is ICTC’s professional certification focused on cargo theft, supply-chain intelligence, investigations, prevention and collaboration.

Organized retail crime and cargo theft can intersect through fencing, distribution, fraud and resale networks. ICTC examines why investigators should connect the intelligence.

Rail cargo theft requires coordination among railroad police, local agencies, investigators and private industry. ICTC examines the partnership model.

Cargo theft investigations move across jurisdictions and industries. Learn why rapid public-private intelligence sharing is essential to identifying organized networks.

Fictitious pickups use deception and compromised identities to obtain legitimate freight. Learn the red flags and verification principles that can reduce exposure.

Cargo theft prevention requires layered physical security, identity verification, technology and intelligence sharing. ICTC outlines a practical framework.

Strategic cargo theft increasingly relies on carrier impersonation, fictitious pickups, compromised credentials and freight fraud. ICTC examines the threat, prevention steps and investigative implications.

America’s supply chain continues to face a criminal threat that is becoming more organized, more mobile and more technologically sophisticated. The developments of the past week show why we can no longer view cargo theft, organized retail crime, freight fraud, fencing, identity theft and other illicit activity as unrelated offenses. From an 11-year federal sentence in a multimillion-dollar cargo-theft conspiracy to increased retail-theft enforcement in San Francisco and a mas

By Commander Michael Ware | September 6, 2026 The Threat Is Moving Upstream: Identity Fraud, Cargo Diversion and Coordinated ORC Demand a Unified Response The past week reinforced a point that law enforcement, retailers and the transportation industry can no longer afford to overlook: organized retail crime and cargo theft are increasingly parts of the same broader criminal ecosystem. The traditional picture of cargo theft—a trailer disappearing from an unsecured lot—or retai

By Commander Michael Ware Founder | Illinois Cargo Theft Coalition (ICTC) Welcome to the Illinois Cargo Theft Coalition. As our first official blog post, I want to explain why I created ICTC, what I believe this organization can become, why we are developing the BSCII Certification Program, and why I am asking law-enforcement professionals and private-sector leaders throughout the supply-chain community to become members, partners and sponsors of this mission. ICTC was create