Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) on Thursday, Jan. 22, reintroduced the Combatting Auto Robbery at the Source Act (CARS Act). The bill would revive the defunct National Auto Theft Bureau (NATB) so that federal, state and local police can share information in real time, and would provide education and grants. It targets organized crime rings that ship cars stolen in New York through New Jersey ports to buyers overseas.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5) on Thursday, Jan. 22, reintroduced the Combatting Auto Robbery at the Source Act (CARS Act) to counter organized auto theft. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R), whose district includes Staten Island, New York, is the co-sponsor. At its core, the bill would revive the defunct National Auto Theft Bureau (NATB).
What the Bill Does
"Auto theft is not just a property crime. Behind it are rings that move stolen cars across state lines and smuggle them out through ports, and carjackings put families in danger," Gottheimer said. "Police are doing everything they can, but we need a national clearinghouse that connects the dots in real time." He first introduced the bill in April 2024 after touring the New Jersey State Police Real Time Crime Center.
Malliotakis described the situation on the New York side. "In recent years, car thefts have risen across the New York area, and people feel less safe," she said. "The license plate readers I secured funding for have helped locate stolen vehicles, but it gets much harder once a car leaves the city. Many are loaded onto ships at New Jersey ports and sold to other countries." The aim is for lawmakers from both states to work together to shut down the route by which cars stolen in New York leave the country through Port Newark.
From Port Enforcement to Real Time Crime Centers
According to Gottheimer's office, more than 1,300 cars were stolen in New Jersey in 2025. He said that in April 2023 he convened a meeting of officials from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Port of Newark, along with state and local police, to address vehicle smuggling through the port. He also said that in 2022 he urged the Department of Homeland Security to step up enforcement against interstate car theft and carjacking, which led to a joint federal, state and local operation.
Car theft and garage break-ins are also a persistent concern in the Korean American communities of Bergen County. Police advise people not to leave keys or key fobs in their cars, to lock their car doors, and to park vehicles in the garage rather than in the driveway whenever possible. The bill must go through review in the House, and no timeline for passage has been set.