Cargo theft in America is not just a matter of a few stolen goods. It is a growing threat to our national and economic security.

As a former senior executive at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, I spent nearly two decades coordinating with other domestic enforcement agencies and foreign partners to strengthen the border and trade security systems that keep our country physically safe and economically secure. Today, one of those systems, our supply chain, is under increasing pressure by organized and sophisticated criminal groups.

When you peruse neighborhood grocery stores, scroll through ecommerce sites, or place orders from big-box retailers, it’s easy to forget that nearly every product you buy travels a long path to get to you. Like blood delivering oxygen throughout the body, America’s connected, integrated supply chains ensure that goods manufactured in one part of the country are available anywhere in America when you need them. These supply chains are the lifeblood of our economy, and they must be protected.

We all got a stark reminder of this during the COVID-19 pandemic. From chicken to toilet paper, socks to slippers, washers to vacuums, basic necessities were harder to find and more expensive due to the supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19. That’s why the federal government deemed supply-chain workers “essential,” akin to doctors and nurses.

Today, cargo theft presents a new kind of........

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