I hate to tell you, but that “delayed” package you’ve been waiting for might not be delayed due to supply-chain problems.

In fact, it might not be “delayed” at all.

These videos from journalist John Schreiber made waves overnight even though the phenomenon he’s reporting on isn’t brand new. Schreiber’s based in California, the smash-and-grab capital of America, and got a tip that looting of cargo trains is so rampant in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of L.A. that you can stroll down to the tracks and see the evidence for yourself. So he did.

The tip was correct. Boy, was it ever.

I’m told by law enforcement these @UPS bags are especially sought after by thieves opening cargo containers… they are often full of boxes with merchandise bound for residential addresses. More valuable than say, a cargo container full of low value bulky items like toilet paper. pic.twitter.com/Tj5bQNIeby

— John Schreiber (@johnschreiber) January 13, 2022

As you can see, trains frequently slow or stop in this area as they get worked into the @UnionPacific Intermodal facility near Downtown LA. The thieves use this opportunity to break open containers and take what’s inside. I’d say every 4th or 5th rail car had opened containers. pic.twitter.com/PHpujyB84M

— John Schreiber (@johnschreiber) January 13, 2022

Responsibility for policing the railroad right of way falls on Union Pacific Police… not local agencies like LAPD. We did see Union Pacific police chasing two people today off the tracks and keeping an eye on things. pic.twitter.com/M5aQSrkGZW

— John Schreiber (@johnschreiber) January 14, 2022

That’s the residue of a mere 30 days or so of robbery. CBSLA reports that Union Pacific had a team down there on December 11 to clean up the tracks. Part of the problem is trains grinding to a halt in the neighborhood due to traffic ahead, making them easy pickings for robbers lying in wait. The other part is that, for whatever reason, the goods aren’t very well secured. Quote: “Sources told CBSLA that the locks Union Pacific uses are easy to cut…”

Maybe it’s time for Wells Fargo to get back in the stagecoach-protection business? A lot of Americans are out of work and looking to change careers for something more … exciting.

As I say, the media has noticed the train robberies before. Back in early November, NBC aired a segment on cargo theft focusing on the same stretch of tracks in L.A., even catching thieves in the act. A few weeks later the local affiliate went back to the tracks and sifted through some of the abandoned goods, contacting the senders or would-be recipients to get their reaction to what was found. Lotta strong “America is falling apart at the seams” vibes from this clip and the ones above, although we shouldn’t overreact. It might not be the country that’s falling apart. Just California.