It took no weapons or midnight ambush — just a phone call. That’s how thieves managed to steal $1 million worth of Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar’s Santo Spirits tequila, making it one of the boldest cargo heists in recent memory.
The criminals pretended to be company officials and rerouted two trucks carrying 24,000 bottles of tequila. Instead of reaching their real destination in Pennsylvania, the loads were sent to a fake warehouse in Los Angeles. To hide the theft, they spoofed the trucks’ GPS systems, making the cargo vanish without a trace.
“It hurt bad,” Fieri told 60 Minutes, recalling how unbelievable it felt to lose so much product so easily. But his loss isn’t an isolated case — it’s part of a much bigger problem affecting the entire U.S. trucking industry.
Cargo Theft: A Growing $7 Billion Problem
Cargo theft has become a massive industry of its own. Each year, it costs U.S. trucking companies an estimated $7 billion, or about $19 million every day. While some thieves still use traditional break-ins, many are now turning to cyber scams and digital deception.
These criminals impersonate legitimate trucking companies, create fake websites, and trick shippers into handing over goods. Between 2022 and 2024, this kind of “strategic theft” — involving fraud and cyber tactics — jumped by 1,500%. Total cargo theft rose by 27% in 2024 and could climb another 22% in 2025.
The impact goes far beyond the stolen goods. Each theft disrupts deliveries, increases insurance costs, and adds more expenses for consumers.
Why It Keeps Happening
Cargo theft is a low-risk, high-reward crime. Thieves can make millions in minutes, often without ever being caught. Because different states handle cases separately and penalties are light, criminals have little to fear.
Even worse, there’s no nationwide database to track these crimes. Most thefts are self-reported, meaning the true scale of the problem is likely far greater than we know.
The Need for Action
To fight back, lawmakers are pushing for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, a bipartisan bill that would create a national task force and a central database to track cargo theft. The goal is to help police and the trucking industry work together to stop these organized crime rings.
The tequila heist may have caught attention because of Guy Fieri’s fame, but countless truck drivers and small businesses face similar losses every year — usually without any spotlight. As Fieri said, “If it can happen to us, then everybody’s vulnerable.”
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