- High-Stakes Heist: Thieves stole two semi-trucks loaded with 24,000 bottles of Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar’s Santo Tequila, a haul worth over $1 million.
- Sophisticated Cybercrime: The theft wasn’t a roadside hijacking but a high-tech scheme called “double brokering,” orchestrated entirely online by what investigators believe is an international crime group.
- A Sobering Reality: The crime highlights a shocking 1,200% increase in remote cargo theft over the past four years, a cost that experts warn is ultimately passed down to consumers.
- Partial Recovery, Lingering Threat: While the LAPD recovered about half the stolen tequila, one truck and the masterminds behind the heist remain at large, leaving businesses vulnerable.
Celebrity Brand Targeted in Brazen Online Heist
In a plot straight out of a Hollywood movie, celebrity chef Guy Fieri and rock legend Sammy Hagar’s brand, Santo Tequila, became the victim of a million-dollar highway heist. Last November, two trucks carrying 24,000 bottles of their tequila vanished while en route to a warehouse in Pennsylvania, leaving the company stunned and scrambling for answers.
“My mind is swimming in exactly how do you lose… that many thousands of bottles of tequila?” Fieri said, initially thinking it was a “Goodfellas”-style hijacking. The reality was far more modern and insidious.
How a High-Tech Shell Game Fooled Everyone
Investigators discovered the thieves used a sophisticated tactic known as “double brokering.” The criminals created fake trucking companies online, intercepted the legitimate shipping job, and then hired unsuspecting drivers to pick up the cargo. To buy time, they sent fake updates, including a video of a supposedly broken-down truck, and even “spoofed” the GPS signal to make it appear the shipment was still on its way.
Instead of Pennsylvania, the thieves redirected the trucks to Los Angeles. The heist had a devastating impact on Fieri’s business, forcing layoffs right before the crucial holiday season. “It hurt bad,” Fieri admitted. “Knowing how many people are counting on you… it hurt all the way around.”
A Global Threat Hitting Your Wallet
Keith Lewis of Verisk CargoNet, a firm that investigates such crimes, revealed this is not an isolated incident. This type of remote, online-orchestrated cargo theft has spiked an alarming 1,200% in four years. “It happens multiple times a day,” Lewis warned, adding that the cost of these crimes “100% falls back on the consumer’s shoulders.”
Thanks to a tip, the LAPD’s Cargo Theft Unit eventually found 11,000 bottles of the stolen tequila in a Los Angeles warehouse. However, the second truck and the thieves were never found. Fieri hopes his story serves as a warning. “If it can happen to us… then everybody’s vulnerable,” he stated.
Image Referance: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-thieves-stole-24000-bottles-of-guy-fieris-tequila-highway-heist-60-minutes-transcript/
