AI data center supplies hit by cargo thieves — copper wires, construction materials all stolen in $1.3 million heists

• Recent discoveries include $300k in copper and $1m in data center equipment
• Demand (and prices) for copper remains high
• Manufacturers and shippers are fighting back

Criminals are increasingly turned their attentions to data centers as AI-related construction projects accelerate across the US, with organized crime groups targeting expensive hardware and construction materials, experts have warned.

According to Business Insider, a trailer containing about $300,000 worth of copper wire spool was recovered in one incident alone, but in a related incident just one week prior, another trailer containing around $1 million worth of data center equipment was also recovered.

In this specific case, the copper shipment was stolen in Alabama after leaving Florida, but it was found by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office hundreds of miles away in Illinois.

Criminals are increasingly targeting data center hardware and materials

With hyperscalers announcing multimillion- and multibillion-dollar announcements on a near-weekly basis at some times, it means that huge amounts of valuable materials are being transported across the US, ultimately creating new opportunities for criminals.

Besides copper wiring (pricing for which remains high, as does criminal demand), criminals are also targeting components and complete hardware like servers, GPU, storage and more.

But manufacturers are fighting back against the growing threat, often stamping materials with serial numbers and trackers or installing GPS trackers inside trailers. Selling on the secondhand market is also more of a challenge than consumer good theft, because buyers spending millions typically want reassurance by means of documentation and proof of ownership.

Separate CargoNet data revealed that cargo theft incidents increased around 18% in 2025, with losses up a staggering 60% and average theft value rising 36%. Metal theft also rose 77%.

"Criminal enterprises are becoming more selective and sophisticated, targeting extremely high value shipments rather than relying on opportunistic theft," Verisk CargoNet VP of Operations Keith Lewis added.