28-05-2025
Norfolk port ranked second in stolen vehicle recoveries
The video above is from a November 2024 report.
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – Stolen luxury vehicles coming through busy seaports continues to be big business.
Nationally, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers recovered 1,445 stolen vehicle exports during fiscal year 2024. That's a 9% increase over the 1,316 stolen vehicle exports CBP officers recovered in 2023.
Law enforcement officials see rise in stolen luxury vehicles being exported
Despite the numbers increasing nationally, regionally and locally, the numbers have decreased, according to the recent CBP data.
The Baltimore Field Office, which covers an area from Trenton, N.J., to the Virginia – North Carolina state line, intercepted 250 stolen vehicle exports in 2024. That's a 27% decrease from 2023.
'Auto theft remains a rising concern in the United States and transnational criminal organizations continue to victimize our nation's citizens and our businesses by stealing our vehicles for illicit profit,' said Matthew Suarez, CBP's Acting Director of Field Operations in Baltimore. 'Customs and Border Protection officers remain committed to combatting this illicit international trade in stolen vehicles by intercepting these vehicles at our seaports and hitting the bad guys where it hurts most, in the wallet.'
Although the numbers are dropping, the Baltimore Field Office ranked 2nd nationally for stolen vehicle recoveries, with a value of more than $9.6 million.
The Area Port of Norfolk-Newport News recovered 126 stolen vehicle exports during fiscal year 2024, down from 180 vehicle recoveries in 2023. The vehicles had a total value of more than $6.4 million.
The Area Port of Norfolk ranked second and the Area Port of Baltimore ranked third nationally among CBP Ports.
The majority of the recovered vehicles were bound for West African nations. Nigeria was the top destination.
CBP recovered 72 different models of vehicles, mostly SUVs.
The top five vehicle models included:
Toyota Highlander (20),
Jeep Grand Cherokee (17),
Range Rover Sport (16),
Chevrolet Suburban (15)
Dodge Durango (15)
The top five most valuable stolen vehicle exports recovered were:
2020 Rolls Royce Cullinan valued at $467,700 (Norfolk to Turkey)
2023 Mercedes Benz Maybach valued at $160,075 (Norfolk to Ghana)
2023 Land Rover Range Rover P530 valued at $149,475 (Norfolk to Nigeria)
2024 Land Rover Range Rover P530 valued at $138,855 (Baltimore to Togo)
2024 Ram 1500 TRX valued at $133,169 (Norfolk to United Arab Emirates)
To learn more about CBP operations or view what 'A Typical Day' looks like, visit
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