String of Desert Train Heists Cop $2-Million Worth of Nike Sneakers
Train heists were a Wild West-era phenomenon, and most of us have only had experience in the forgotten crime through Red Dead Redemption 2 or the Fast and Furious series. However, it seems that holding up trains is still a thing in 2025, especially when the cargo contains heater yet-to-release sneakers. According to the , there’s been a string of heists in the Mojave desert across California and Arizona that have resulted in around $2-million worth of products stolen.
Since March last year, there has been ten heists, with nine of those targeting Nike’s most valuable assets. To get to these trains, thieves are usually tipped off by individuals working at trucking or warehouse companies or scout the goods themselves. They board the trains with supreme stealth, slashing the air break hose and causing the long cargo haulers to stop. Locks are then broken and vehicles are then alerted to pick up the stolen product. It’s said that the stolen goods are sold on eBay, Amazon and various other third party sites. Staff onboard these trains are told not to confront thieves but to report the crimes to the authorities.
The police are catching up though. Back in November last year, multiple individuals were arrested hauling $200k worth of stolen product. In January, eleven people were arrested and charged with possessing or receiving stolen goods after they were caught via tracking devices that were installed in shoe boxes. Multiple other arrests have been made, and over $100k of Nike product has been seized. The alleged ringleader of the operation was also arrested, but authorities say this hasn’t stopped the brazen thefts that have been said to have links to transnational criminal organisations. It’s also been alleged by the Assn. of American Railroads that there was 65,000 cargo thefts over 2024 in the US, which is a 40 per cent increase since 2023.
One of the most recent heists, which occurred on January 13, is said to have included a colossal booty of 1985 pairs (the AJ1 anniversary, LMAO). Many of these were unreleased and worth over $440,000. Included in that shipment were the highly anticipated x , which are set to launch this . Back in December, $48,000-worth of Nike ‘Midnight Navys’ were taken, in November, 180 pairs of were stolen, and between April and June, $346,200 worth of other various product was stolen.
Crime is nothing new in sneakers, but between the and train heists, it’s a worrying trend that’s sure to continue.
In lighter news, read everything you need to know about Fortnite Kicks !