Photos capture the debris left behind by cargo looters on Los Angeles railway

Shocking aerial photos have captured the debris of a thousand shredded packages along a California railway that were left behind in the midst of a cargo looting crisis.

The Los Angeles area has continued to see a rising trend in thieves looting from cargo containers carrying valuable items on Union Pacific tracks from companies including Amazon, REI and UPS that were bound for West Coast residences. 

The photos capture the discarded packages left behind by the looters that have since blanketed the tracks with a considerable length of debris.

A series of discarded products such as unused COVID test vials and pharmaceutical drugs that were considered to be dispensable were also discarded. 

Packages have also been seen spilling from open containers as thieves have been using materials such as bolt cutters to break the locks when the train is either stopped or slowly moving.   

An increased security presence on the railway has since been enforced by Union Pacific to catch potential looters surveying the area.

The cargo containers on Union Pacific tracks have been heavily targeted by looters who have been stealing valuable packaged items from companies such as Amazon, REI and UPS

Shredded boxes and packages are seen strewn across the tracks as a result of a month’s worth of looting 

A train travels through the debris-filled tracks as a person is seen carrying discarded items found nearby

The railway company has since released a statement about their increasing concern of cargo theft on the tracks. 

‘Union Pacific is very concerned about the increased cargo thefts in California, and we have taken several steps to address this criminal activity,’ they 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.’

Packages containing items considered to be of little value, such as COVID tests, were left behind by the looters

Unused test vials and other pharmaceutical drugs were seen scattered along the tracks

Union Pacific has estimated that around 90 packages have been compromised per day 

The company has continued to report crimes on the tracks as the debris that had been accumulated was the result of only a month’s worth of cargo looting. 

They have also estimated that around 90 packages have been compromised per day, according to Fox.  

Despite these concerns, The LAPD has said that they do not respond to these type of crimes unless they are requested by the company for help.

However, Union Pacific has their own police force who have been actively patrolling the tracks.  

Contractor workers carry vehicle tires found among the shredded boxes and packages

Security workers have continued to keep an eye out for potential looters on the scene attempting to rifle through containers or packages to steal

Packages have continued to spill from passing trains that were broken into by the looters

Thieves have been using materials such as bolt cutters to break into the cargo containers

This is not the first instance where cargo containers have been targeted this year.

Cargo burglaries were also reported in November during the supply chain crisis period as trains en route to Los Angeles ports were being looted.

The cargo trains had traveled through an area of tracks that were lined with homeless encampments where thieves were reportedly cutting through the carts with bolt cutters. 

Officials with the city then moved the shipping containers into vacant lots to prevent further thefts as a result.