A truck carrying roughly $400,000 worth of live lobsters destined for Costco locations in Illinois and Minnesota was hijacked, with federal investigators now looking into what appears to be an organized cargo theft operation.
The shipment was confirmed missing on Christmas Eve by Rexing Companies, an Indiana-based logistics firm. CEO Dylan Rexing said the load was picked up in Taunton, Massachusetts, but never arrived at its scheduled delivery points.
According to Rexing, the circumstances strongly suggest the theft was deliberate rather than a simple missed delivery or routing error.
Rexing said the company believes the hijacking is part of a wider cargo theft ring that targets high-value goods, including food shipments that can be quickly resold. The case is now under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, though no arrests have been announced so far.
Lobster shipment hijacked on Christmas Eve
“This is a huge issue across the country,” Rexing said during an interview on ChicagoLIVE. He added that cargo theft directly impacts supply chains and can eventually drive up prices for consumers.
Beyond the missing seafood, Rexing said the loss has had a tangible impact on his business. The Evansville-based company employs more than 100 people, and the stolen shipment has affected internal plans tied to hiring and employee bonuses.
Investigators also noted that the lobster hijacking may not be an isolated incident. Law enforcement pointed out that a similar seafood shipment was reportedly stolen from the same Massachusetts facility earlier this month, raising further concerns about a coordinated operation.
The missing lobsters were bound for multiple Costco locations across Illinois and Minnesota. It remains unclear what condition the live cargo would be in or where it could ultimately surface, but industry experts warn that food-related cargo theft is becoming increasingly common due to the speed at which perishable goods can be moved and sold.
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