Thieves in Los Angeles have stolen thousands of packages being transported in cargo containers on trains passing through the city, leaving behind the empty boxes and anything not valuable enough to steal.
CBS Los Angeles found a section of Union Pacific train tracks in downtown Los Angeles littered with thousands of empty boxes and leftover items that thieves deemed not valuable enough to resell, such as home COVID-19 tests and epi-pens.
CBS correspondents actually saw multiple people at the railway who appeared to be going through packages, and in one case they saw a person run away with a container of small packages. Sources told the news network that Union Pacific cleared the area about 30 days ago, having previously cleaned it three months ago.
The Los Angeles Police Department told the news outlet that they only respond to reports of theft at train yards if Union Pacific requests their assistance, which rarely happens.
"Union Pacific is very concerned about the increased cargo thefts in California, and we have taken several steps to address this criminal activity," the company said in a statement. "These rail crimes pose a serious safety threat to the public, our employees, and local law enforcement officers.
"We have increased the number of Union Pacific special agents on patrol, and we have utilized and explored additional technologies to help us combat this criminal activity. We also will continue to work with our local law enforcement partners and elected leaders."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.