More than 270,000 stolen goods worth nearly $17 million were recovered last year as part of a statewide crackdown on organized retail theft, according to California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Since becoming governor, organized retail crime investigations at the local and state level have increased by 3,000%, from 24 in 2019 to 734 in 2025.

Through 734 investigations and 1,208 arrests for organized retail crime, the California Highway Patrol seized more than 272,000 stolen items in 2025 alone.

In December, officers conducted 103 investigations, made 239 arrests, and recovered 59,992 assets worth an estimated $1.2 million.

“The establishment of our Organized Retail Crime Task Force in 2019 marked a clear commitment to confronting this growing threat head-on,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee.

Several major retail theft busts in the state were announced last year, including:

• The Sacramento Sheriff’s Office arrested four suspects, all Colombian nationals, involved in multiple jewelry store thefts. The crew is suspected to be part of a highly sophisticated, international theft ring, with ties to cartels. The jewelry theft resulted in a loss of more than a million dollars.
• The Ventura County District Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices recently brought down a nine-member organized retail theft ring responsible for the nation’s largest series of thefts across Home Depot stores. The sophisticated network was responsible for at least $10 million in stolen goods and more than 600 thefts across Southern California, with the ringleader facing 45 felony counts

Since its inception, the CHP task force has been involved in over 4,300 investigations, which have led to the apprehension of more than 5,000 suspects and the recovery of over 1.5 million stolen goods, valued at nearly $70 million as of December 31, 2025.