Connection Between ORC & Illegal Immigration?
Illegal Aliens Helping Fuel Explosive Growth In Transnational Retail Theft Rings

The cash harvested from the billions in stolen goods is underwriting the distribution of drugs, weapons, even terrorism, experts say.

A wave of smash-and-grab retail robberies has swept the country in recent years. In many cases, the thieves are employees of some of the world’s most nefarious criminal enterprises — including cartels, terrorists organizations, and traffickers. And these transnational criminal outfits are using their pilfering proceeds to fund their network of illicit activities.

“One Homeland Security Investigations operation, called King of Thieves, uncovered an organized retail crime ring which had sent millions of dollars in criminal proceeds overseas.  That same group financed coyote fees for deported individuals to return to the United States,” Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, Judiciary chairman, said in his opening statements at Tuesday’s hearing on a bill aimed at coordinating law enforcement efforts to take on the transnational theft rings.

Retail theft prevention experts testified at the hearing, titled, “Beyond the Smash and Grab: Criminal Networks and Organized Theft,” each with disturbing accounts of the impacts of the multi-billion dollar crime epidemic. And, yes, the retail theft rings have been supported in no small part by some of the millions of illegal immigrants that poured into the country thanks to Biden administration’s open border policies.

Grassley noted the Department of Justice recently indicted 11 defendants, including nine illegal immigrants, accused stealing $440,000 worth of Nike shoes from a BNSF train in Northern Arizona.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last year reported that more than 660,000 illegal immigrants on ICE’s database have criminal histories. Committee member Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked Glawe if Biden’s border invasion brought unvetted illegal aliens to work in the retail theft rings.

“We know transnational criminal organizations know no boundaries,” the retail crime expert said. He referenced the Sinaloa cartel, which “runs like a Fortune 500 company, moving people and goods. “There’s connectivity to nation-states and terrorist organizations. Vetting is critical in identifying criminal actors.” thefederalist.com


Too Much Focus on ORC?
Taking loss prevention beyond ORC and theft

The traditional definition of “shrink” is insufficient to capture the complexity of the challenge. Retailers need to expand their definition even further, going beyond crime and beyond their front doors to start unpacking total retail loss.

Loss prevention leaders have been focused on curbing organized retail crime activity over the past few years. However, the problem is that loss isn't that simple, and preventing it means looking far beyond theft and fraud.

Hide-and-shrink

Loss within retail enterprises is as broad and complex as in any other business. Tech companies don't consider supply closet thefts or stolen licenses to be the only ways the business loses money, right? Every shortfall in efficiency or an under performing project gets analyzed, quantified and integrated into a holistic assessment of the organization's total financial standing.

The same should be true in retail, but a heavy focus on combating crime, reducing theft and minimizing shrink has pulled resources from other key drivers of lost revenue. Lost time, lost merchandise, lost labor and equipment failures are all part of the "total retail loss" puzzle. Unknown drivers are important too.

To fully conceptualize shrink within their operations, retailers need to expand their understanding of loss to include missing merchandise or opportunities.

The full picture

The first step is partnering with departments throughout the enterprise to centralize, standardize and reconcile data to gain a comprehensive understanding of how their practices impact the bottom line. From there, teams should audit this database to identify gaps — areas of the store or business that are not yet included in the data collection program.

Stop losses, start growth

Addressing all the factors that contribute to total retail loss—from the moment a product is manufactured to its journey to the buyer — will ensure that retailers can thrive in an increasingly competitive environment. By adopting this comprehensive approach, retailers will be able to redefine loss to not just combat theft but promote sustainable growth and long-term success. retailcustomerexperience.com


Q2 2025 Cargo Theft Up 13%
Cargo Theft Surges 13% Year-Over-Year in Second Quarter 2025 as Organized Crime Groups Target High-Value Commodities
CargoNet, a Verisk Analytics product, recorded 884 supply chain theft events across the United States and Canada in the second quarter of 2025, representing a 13 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024 and a 10 percent increase from the first quarter of 2025. The estimated total loss value exceeded $128 million when applying average loss values to incidents where specific values were not reported.

The data reveals an acceleration in theft activity throughout the quarter, with incidents increasing 14.6 percent in April, 4.4 percent in May, and a substantial 21.9 percent surge in June.

"The strategic targeting of specific commodities reveals the business-like approach of modern cargo theft operations," said Keith Lewis, vice president of operations for Verisk CargoNet, "These aren't opportunistic crimes – they're calculated operations targeting goods with the highest illicit-market value and easiest resale potential."

The average stolen shipment value of $203,586 represents a significant economic impact on the supply chain, with ripple effects including increased insurance costs, delivery delays, replacement orders, and ultimately higher consumer prices.

Looking ahead to the remainder of 2025, CargoNet analysts warn that complex cargo theft schemes involving document fraud and identity theft are becoming increasingly prevalent. These sophisticated operations, often perpetrated by international organized crime groups, are evolving rapidly to circumvent industry anti-fraud efforts. verisk.com


CMPD shares mid-year crime data for Charlotte

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Biometric Tech in Retail LP
Retailers Tap Biometric Tech for Enhanced Safety & Loss Prevention Efficiency

By the D&D Daily staff

As retailers continue evolving their loss prevention strategies, a growing number are turning to biometric technologies — not just to deter theft, but to improve operational safety and streamline access control for employees.

While facial recognition and other biometric tools are often framed in the context of combating organized retail crime, some retailers are deploying these systems with a different objective in mind: creating safer, more accountable work environments.

One key area of growth is biometric access control in stockrooms, back offices, and high-value storage areas. Instead of relying on keys or PIN codes, which can be easily lost or shared, retailers are using fingerprint or palm vein scanners to limit access to authorized personnel only. This has helped reduce internal errors, limit liability, and speed up investigations when shrink or safety issues arise.

Retailers are also experimenting with biometric time clock systems that reduce the risk of “buddy punching,” where one employee clocks in for another. This contributes to more accurate payroll data and better workforce oversight — a win for HR, operations, and asset protection teams alike.

Some retailers are even piloting biometric health and wellness screenings in high-risk warehouse environments, where fatigue or health concerns can lead to safety incidents and, in turn, financial losses. In these cases, biometric wearables are used to monitor worker alertness or stress levels to proactively intervene before accidents occur.

While privacy advocates have raised concerns about data storage and consent, many of these implementations rely on encrypted, opt-in systems that do not store actual biometric images — only unique encrypted templates. Retailers emphasize that these measures are designed to protect employees and reduce loss due to human error, not to police behavior.

As loss prevention expands beyond traditional theft-focused tactics, technologies that once seemed futuristic are becoming mainstream tools for improving accuracy, safety, and efficiency across the retail workforce. The biometric wave is just beginning — and not always for the reasons you might expect.


Target's Return-to-Office Rollout
Target commercial chief rolls out return to office plan

Executive Rick Gomez told some Twin Cities commercial employees to work from headquarters three days a week starting in September.

Target Chief Commercial Officer Rick Gomez has asked some members of the commercial team to return to the office three days a week starting Sept. 2.

The executive sent an email to corporate commercial employees last week telling hybrid employees in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota to come into headquarters on days of their choosing while factoring in business needs. The decision is intended to help create consistency, per the internal email Target shared with Retail Dive.

“More time together, in the office, will help us grow our business faster, solve problems quickly, and build stronger relationships across our Commercial team and with our partners,” Gomez told employees.

Gomez stressed flexibility in the policy change and doesn’t want to take a one-size-fits-all approach, per the internal email. retaildive.com


Consumers Aren't Cutting Back - Yet
Retail sales jumped more than expected last month
Americans are still opening their wallets, even as President Donald Trump’s tariffs start to take a bite. Retail sales rose 0.6% in June from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Thursday, rebounding from the steep 0.9% decline in May.

June’s number was much stronger than the 0.2% gain economists projected in a FactSet poll. Spending climbed across categories last month, including at car dealerships, which saw one of the biggest monthly increases. Those sales were up a robust 1.2% in June.

However, the figures aren’t adjusted for inflation, and some goods already began to get more expensive because of tariffs last month. After factoring in June’s 0.3% increase in consumer prices, retail sales were up a more modest 0.3%. Retail sales are adjusted for seasonal swings.

Still, there were some signs in the latest retail spending report that Americans aren’t quite yet cutting back. Sales at restaurants and bars — often seen as a barometer of discretionary spending — rose a solid 0.6% in June. Whenever consumers cut back, spending on eating out and alcoholic drinks is usually first on the chopping block. cnn.com


Store Managers Are Optimistic
Over 80% of Retail Store Managers Expect Sales To Remain Healthy This Year: Are They Right?
Despite a proliferation of news headlines tied to iffy consumer sentiment and the negative impact that an ongoing and turbulent trade policy — particularly concerning tariffs — might have on retailers, it appears that the bulk of front-line store management figures may be taking the opposite stance.

According to Levin Management’s recent “2025 Mid-Year Retail Sentiment Survey,” store managers polled are not only satisfied with sales figures year-to-date, but also remain optimistic about the prospects of maintaining that head of steam as 2025 draws to a close.

A full 82.4% of store managers polled indicated that they expect sales to increase, or at least maintain pace, throughout the rest of the year. Only a slightly lesser cohort (75.2%) stated that current year-to-date sales had met, or exceeded, mid-year 2024 levels.

Nearly the same percentage (74.8%) reported same, or higher, traffic within stores. This statistic represents an all-time high for the survey. retailwire.com


Walmart restructuring some support and training roles, memo says
Walmart is restructuring certain store-support and training roles, according to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters, in the latest move to simplify its structure. Bloomberg, which first reported the news, said that hundreds of store-support roles would be affected.

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