The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Financial Crimes Section has activated a new task force dedicated to dismantling organized theft rings that are systematically stripping data center construction sites across the United States. Formed in March 2024, the unit draws agents from the bureau’s Richmond and Phoenix field offices, reflecting the geographic spread of the problem. The initiative marks a sharp escalation in federal response to what the agency’s own data describes as a surging national crisis.
The task force’s creation follows the release of the FBI’s 2023 Crime in the United States report, published in October 2023, which documented a 25 percent increase in construction site thefts nationwide compared to the previous year. Data center construction sites are being targeted at a rate 50 percent higher than other commercial construction projects, according to the same report.
Total losses from all construction site thefts exceeded $1 billion in 2023. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that data center construction sites alone accounted for $120 million of that figure in a single year.
High Copper Prices and Remote Locations Feed Theft Surge
The FBI attributes the sharp rise in data center site thefts to two primary factors: elevated copper prices and the remote locations of many large-scale data center projects. Copper is a key material in data center electrical systems and cabling, making partially built facilities attractive targets for scrap metal resale. The remote positioning of many data centers — often sited far from urban centers for security, space, and energy access — also reduces natural surveillance and slows law enforcement response times.
These conditions have transformed what was once a pattern of opportunistic theft into a lucrative enterprise for coordinated criminal networks. The bureau’s Financial Crimes Section is now coordinating investigations across multiple jurisdictions, targeting what officials describe as sophisticated criminal networks rather than solo thieves acting on impulse.
The shift in approach reflects a broader recognition that the losses are not merely a collection of petty crimes but an organized threat to critical infrastructure. The FBI has not yet announced any arrests or indictments stemming from the task force’s work, but the agency told the public that investigative resources are being aligned accordingly. The bureau’s report made clear that the trend is accelerating, and with copper prices remaining elevated and the data center construction boom showing no signs of cooling, the task force’s work is likely to expand.
The estimated $120 million in losses from data center sites in 2023 highlights how crucial these facilities have become to the national economy — and how vulnerable they remain during the construction phase. Data centers support a large share of modern infrastructure, including cloud computing, financial transactions, communications, and emergency services.
Theft that compromises the timely completion or security of these facilities threatens broader economic stability and operational continuity.
FBI Adapts Resources to Organized Crime Threat
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the primary federal law enforcement agency and domestic intelligence service of the United States. Established in 1908 as the Bureau of Investigation and renamed in 1935, the FBI operates as part of the Department of Justice. It maintains a network of field offices in major cities and smaller resident agencies across the country.
While its primary focus remains domestic, the bureau coordinates with foreign security services through offices located in U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. The agency holds jurisdiction over a wide array of federal crimes, with priorities that include combating transnational criminal enterprises, white-collar crime, and cybercriminal activity.
Unlike the Central Intelligence Agency, the FBI possesses law enforcement authority to investigate and make arrests. The bureau’s involvement in construction site theft cases reflects its role in protecting both national security and the economy. Because organized rings capable of systematically stripping data center construction sites often operate across state lines and employ complex logistics, local law enforcement agencies may lack the resources or jurisdiction to pursue them effectively.
The task force structure — drawing agents from Richmond and Phoenix field offices and coordinating through the Financial Crimes Section — allows the FBI to centralize intelligence, track patterns, and build cases against entire networks rather than individual perpetrators. For now, the message from the bureau is plain: the days of treating construction site theft as a low-level property crime are over.
The FBI is now treating it as organized crime, with all the investigative resources that designation implies. This shift shows how the agency adapts its resources to meet evolving criminal threats, using its statutory authority and interjurisdictional reach to protect critical infrastructure. As data center construction continues to expand nationwide and copper prices remain elevated, the task force’s work will likely intensify, with further federal action expected in the months ahead.
