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FBI Probes Hijacking of $400,000 Live Lobster Load Bound for Costco

The case underscores a wider pattern of organized cargo theft that targets high-value perishables through credential spoofing at weak transit points.

Overview

  • The shipment was picked up in Taunton, Massachusetts for delivery to Costco warehouses in Illinois and Minnesota but never arrived.
  • Federal authorities are investigating through FBI field offices in Chicago and Minneapolis, and no arrests have been announced.
  • Rexing Companies says the theft matches tactics in which criminals impersonate legitimate carriers using spoofed documentation and burner communications.
  • Investigators are reportedly reviewing a similar seafood theft earlier this month from the same Massachusetts facility to assess possible links.
  • HSI’s Operation Boiling Point and a recent DOT information request frame the policy response, while Rexing cites hiring delays and reduced employee bonuses after the loss.