Surge in copper theft and infrastructure attacks disrupts emergency services and critical communications.
Telecommunications company Verizon is putting up a $25,000 bounty to catch the vandals behind a series of physical attacks on its infrastructure that severed communications for thousands of Southern California customers.
The company announced the monetary incentive after perpetrators repeatedly cut vital fiber optic lines across Los Angeles and surrounding areas over recent days. The destruction reflects a broader spike in copper and equipment theft fueled by rising metal market values, targeting utility, transit, and telecom operations nationwide.
Industry data shows California bearing the brunt of these infrastructure disruptions, recording 6,297 attacks in 2025 alone. Los Angeles accounted for 1,131 of those incidents, contributing to a state-level economic loss exceeding $252 million. Together with Texas, California accounts for over half of all reported telecom vandalism in the country.
Beyond widespread consumer service disruptions, law enforcement and public safety officials warn that physical line cuts create dangerous blind spots by taking down 911 dispatch centers, emergency service communications, medical networks, and aviation systems.
Company officials urge anyone who witnesses suspicious activity near telecom infrastructure or has information regarding recent incidents to contact local emergency services or call the Verizon Security department at 1-800-997-3287.