Cargo Thieves Hijack AI Hardware Shipments in California

Summary

A WIRED investigation reported that cargo thieves disabled two private security escort vehicles on California roads in recent months and stole millions of dollars in AI data-center hardware being transported from Silicon Valley to Southern California. In one incident, an escort was rear-ended by a driver who fled; in another, a vehicle was forced off the road with a police-style PIT maneuver. The semitrucks continued driving, and neither truck had been recovered when the report was published. Investigators suspect the truck drivers were involved, noting that both shipments used motor-carrier numbers that had recently changed hands, a tactic that can allow criminals to book freight under a legitimate company registration. Five state and local law-enforcement agencies did not confirm the incidents to WIRED, but two freight-security specialists corroborated them. CargoNet recorded 677 supply-chain theft incidents in the United States and Canada in the second quarter of 2026, while estimated losses more than doubled year over year to $304.6 million; the average reported theft was valued at $564,009. Enterprise computing and networking equipment remains a frequent target, and some shipments worth millions move as ordinary dry freight without special security. Investigators said location data from stolen components suggests that much of the cargo may end up overseas. Export controls have pushed restricted Nvidia hardware prices in China above U.S. retail levels: a DGX B300 server was cited at more than $1.1 million there versus roughly $550,000 in the United States, while five-year-old A100 servers had reportedly tripled in price. These conditions make some stolen AI hardware unusually valuable on the black market.