Three semi trailers loaded with meat stolen in Nebraska over the weekend, latest in a string of meat cargo thefts

Police in Grand Island, Nebraska, are investigating a meat cargo theft incident that occurred over the weekend and investigating whether it could be connected to a larger meat cargo theft ring.

Trailer and Cargo Theft of More Than $750K Reported in Grand Island

On Friday, September 16, officers responded to the Lineage Logistics facility at 203 Roberts St E. in Grand Island for a report that two semi trailers were missing from the lot.

The two trailers were loaded with meat from Gibbon Packing Co., according to Grand Island Police.

The estimated value of the two stolen trailers and cargo is estimated at $493,407.85.

A third trailer loaded with meat was also reported stolen from the facility on Sunday, September 18, but police believe that the actual theft took place on Friday the 16th between 7:10 p.m. and 11:29 p.m.

The estimated value of the third stolen trailer and cargo is $273,329.61.

At this time, the trailers and the meat are still missing.

Three Trailers Filled With Meat Go Missing From Grand Island in June

Grand Island Police investigated a similar incident that happened at some time between June 24 and June 26 when two stolen semi trucks were used to steal three semi trailers loaded with meat. Both trucks and two of the trailers were recovered by the Nebraska State Patrol outside of Grand Island city limits. The recovered trailers were empty.

The trailer that is still missing is believed to have contained about $232,666 worth of beef from the JBS Beef plant.

“I think they went around to look for reefer units that were running. The fact that they were all loaded with beef may imply that they had done some level of surveillance,” Grand Island Police Captain Jim Duering told 1011Now.

“It does not look like it was possible for a single person to conduct these thefts. Most likely it was a minimum of two people or more and then on top of that we have a similar thefts of meat products in other areas such as Colfax County and Omaha over the past several weeks that are probably related,” Duering said of the June meat thefts.

Three Trailers of Pork Product Stolen in Iowa in September

The Nebraska meat cargo thefts are also similar to a cargo theft incident that occurred in Iowa earlier this month.

On September 1, a semi truck and three trailers loaded with pork products were reported stolen from the JBS Pork facility in Ottumwa, Iowa. The truck and all three trailers were later found abandoned, but all of the pork product had been removed. The estimated value of the stolen pork is $100,000.