Semi-trailer with $15M in Apple products, semiconductors stolen in Nevada [FreightWaves]

Originally by Eric Kulisch at Freight Waves

Key Takeaways:

A $15 million shipment of Apple products and AMD microchips, managed by Ceva Logistics, was stolen from a Reno, Nevada warehouse. - The theft occurred at an unsecured warehouse after hours, raising concerns about security protocols. - The incident highlights a surge in cargo theft, with electronics being a primary target and full truckload thefts increasing significantly. Cargo theft is becoming more sophisticated, involving insider information and advanced planning.

A truck shipment managed by Ceva Logistics and containing about $15 million worth of Apple products and semiconductors was stolen earlier this month in Reno, Nevada, and remains under investigation, according to authorities and a source familiar with the case.

Detectives are actively investigating the theft of a semi-trailer containing electronics, which occurred July 3, the Reno Police Department said in a news release. “The manager arrived to find that a company trailer that was loaded with merchandise had been stolen. Total loss is unknown,” the department said in an initial statement about the crime.

Ceva Logistics, one of the largest third-party logistics providers in the world, dispatched a truck to deliver the load from one of its facilities in Sacramento, California, to Sierra Airfreight Express in Reno, a person with close knowledge of the case told FreightWaves. The source was not named because of the sensitive nature of an ongoing investigation. The contents included AMD microchips, according to the person.

The suspects drove a tractor onto the Sierra lot, hooked up to the Ceva Logistics trailer and drove off. The trailer was recovered several days later in Madera, California, with all of its contents gone.

A person who answered the phone at Sierra Airfreight Express, a small truckload carrier serving northern Nevada and northern California, said employees were instructed not to discuss the case.

The Ceva truck arrived at a non-secure Sierra warehouse, with no fencing or guards, after normal business hours when no employees were on site, the source said.

The cargo theft raises questions about what security protocols Ceva Logistics followed to protect a high-value load and how criminals knew to target the vehicle.

Last year, cargo crimes increased to an all-time high of more than $1 billion, up 27% from 2023, according to theft prevention company CargoNet. Annual cargo theft losses are expected to rise another 22% by the end of 2025.

CargoNet, part of insurance company Verisk, and GearTrack on Wednesday released their July Cargo Security Index revealing a spike in organized cargo theft activity across the U.S.

“Cargo crime has evolved into a sophisticated operation driven by insider leaks, advanced surveillance, and AI-enabled coordination,” said Ilan Gluck, general manager of GearTrack. “Our data shows a shifting geographic concentration of thefts, especially in areas with growing warehousing and distribution activity, like Indianapolis and key corridors through Arizona.”

This month’s report shows a 75% rise in theft incidents in Indiana, 40% in Texas, and 35% in Illinois, with a nationwide surge targeting high-value commodities such as vehicles, household goods, and consumer electronics.

The U.S. averaged 185 reported cargo thefts per month, a rate of six per day in 2024, up from 4 per day in 2023, according to supply chain security firm Overhaul. Stealing full truckloads remained criminals’ most popular tactic in 2024, comprising nearly two-thirds of total thefts in Canada and the U.S. Electronics was the most targeted product type in both countries.

Ceva Logistics declined to comment and Apple did not respond to inquiries about the stolen load.