Cargo thieves are allegedly using more aggressive tactics to steal expensive AI data-centre equipment in the United States, including deliberately disabling security escort vehicles. The reported incidents have heightened concern in the freight industry because they suggest organised theft is adapting to the rapidly rising value and demand for servers, chips and cooling equipment.

In two recent shipments travelling from Silicon Valley to southern California, escort vehicles were reportedly rear-ended or forced into a spin, after which the lorries and their drivers disappeared with millions of dollars of hardware. The accounts could not be independently verified in full because of ongoing investigations, but industry sources corroborated elements of them; no injuries were reported and investigators suspect the drivers may have participated. Escort firms say demand for protection has become year-round as AI-related cargo values have increased sharply.