Airforwarders Urge Congress to Pass CORCA

The Airforwarders Association is pressing the House to include the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act in the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Property Crime

Isometric editorial illustration of plain steel shipping containers stacked in a freight yard, one door ajar, in muted oxblood, teal, and mustard. — The Airforwarders Association is urging the House to add the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act to target cargo theft. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The Airforwarders Association has urged the House of Representatives to include the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) in the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. The group says it has held meetings with congressional offices over the last year on cargo theft.

Why it matters

Forwarders say organized criminal networks operating across state lines exploit gaps between jurisdictions, making coordinated federal response a central concern. CORCA would create a coordination center within Homeland Security Investigations to address organized retail and supply chain crime.

CORCA is proposed for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, which Congress passes annually to set defense and spending priorities. Whether the provision survives into the final bill remains unresolved.

The players

Airforwarders Association

A trade association representing freight forwarders that has an existing Cargo Theft Committee sharing intelligence on cargo crime across its membership.

Steve Smith

Chief Executive Officer of the Airforwarders Association, leading the group's advocacy efforts on cargo theft legislation.

David King

Chair of the Airforwarders Association's Cargo Theft Committee and a representative of AB&M Logistics.

The details

CORCA would establish an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within Homeland Security Investigations. The Airforwarders Association supports the wider CORCA coalition and created opportunities for members to explain cargo theft firsthand to Congress.

Over the last year: the Airforwarders Association took member concerns to Congress through meetings with congressional offices.
After the midterm elections: Congress returns and the association urges inclusion of CORCA in the NDAA.

Legal Context

Advocates are using the annual National Defense Authorization Act as the vehicle for CORCA, a route that places an organized retail crime measure inside the broader federal defense and spending bill. The strategy reflects the pattern of attaching targeted crime provisions to must-pass legislation.

If enacted, CORCA would create a federal coordination center to address organized retail and supply chain crime, which could affect how stolen shipments are tracked across state lines. Consumers and businesses that rely on freight movement may see the effects of enforcement changes as the NDAA is finalized.

The takeaway

Organized cargo and retail theft crosses state lines, so proposals to coordinate federal enforcement are drawing attention from logistics industry groups. Readers tracking supply chain security can follow how the final FY2027 NDAA text treats the measure.