in Los Angeles, freight trains targeted by repeated thefts

Freight trains in Los Angeles (United States) are regularly attacked by looters. On the tracks, thousands of boxes are ripped open. Thieves often leave only the packaging behind. “They take all the packages and what’s in them: washing machines, tires, perfumes“, enumerates Adam Rodriguez, worker. The looters are organized and attack the goods in no time.

In the United States, freight trains, several kilometers long, move at a moderate speed and are therefore easy targets. Thefts have increased with the health crisis: + 60% in one year. The police are often overwhelmed. “I have never seen a situation of this magnitude. At the beginning of December, we lost five million dollars worth of goods“, explains Lupe Valdez, head of the Union Pacific railroad company. The company is considering setting up drone patrols and no longer going through Los Angeles County.