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A $400,000 shipment of live lobsters destined for Costco locations in Illinois and Minnesota was hijacked before reaching its delivery points, authorities confirmed.

The shipment, picked up in Taunton, Massachusetts, vanished somewhere along its route to the Midwest, raising concerns about a growing trend of organized cargo theft.

Dylan Rexing, CEO of Indiana-based logistics company Rexing Companies, said investigators believe the lobsters were targeted by a well-organized theft ring that focuses on high-value goods in transit.

"This is a huge issue across the country," Rexing told WFLD. "It directly impacts businesses and contributes to higher prices for consumers."

The FBI has launched an investigation into the stolen shipment, though no arrests have been made.

Rexing noted that this was not an isolated incident, revealing that another seafood shipment was stolen earlier this month from the same Massachusetts facility, indicating possible systematic targeting.

The hijacking comes amid a nationwide surge in cargo theft that has caught federal authorities' attention.

Earlier this year, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) launched Operation Boiling Point, a crackdown on organized retail and cargo theft networks.

According to FoxBusiness, HSI estimates that cargo theft costs US businesses between $15 billion and $35 billion annually.

Costco Lobster Theft Exposes US Transport Risks

According to HSI, organized theft groups often target shipments at ports, truck stops, and freight stations.

While these groups may not always be directly involved in retail crime, they are frequently connected to "fences" who resell stolen goods, feeding an underground market.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has also raised alarms about the increasing impact of cargo theft on the US transportation system.

In September, the DOT requested input from law enforcement, transportation agencies, freight carriers, and the public to better secure supply chains.

Its summary highlighted that these crimes not only create economic losses and disrupt logistics but can also fund illicit activities such as narcotics trafficking, counterfeiting, and human smuggling.

For Rexing Companies, the loss has tangible consequences beyond the missing lobsters.

The theft affects balance sheets and could ripple into hiring plans and employee bonuses for the company's workforce of over 100 employees, DailyMail reported.

As authorities continue to investigate, the case underscores the vulnerabilities in transporting high-value goods across the country.

Meanwhile, Costco locations in Illinois and Minnesota are left without a shipment that had promised to bring fresh seafood to customers.