24,000 bottles of Guy Fieri’s tequila stolen in high-tech cargo heist; half later recovered in L.A. (Shutterstock)
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Thieves made off with 24,000 bottles of Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar’s Santo Tequila last November in what investigators say was a sophisticated, high-tech highway heist, 60 Minutes reports.
The two semi-trucks, carrying more than $1 million worth of tequila from Texas to Pennsylvania, vanished after criminals used fake trucking companies and spoofed GPS signals to make it appear the shipments were en route.
According to 60 Minutes, the scheme—known as “double brokering”—is part of a surge in cargo thefts linked to international crime rings. Investigators traced part of the stolen tequila to a Los Angeles warehouse, recovering about 11,000 bottles three weeks later.
Fieri said the loss hit hard, forcing layoffs and halting holiday sales. Experts warn such online-driven thefts have surged 1,200% in four years, making California the nation’s top target for cargo crimes.