Tequila Heist Hits Flavortown: $1 Million in Santo Tequila Stolen
A tequila heist worth over $1 million has shaken up the world of celebrity spirits. Two trucks, loaded with 24,240 bottles of Santo Tequila, the brand co-owned by celebrity chef Guy Fieri and former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar, were stolen last weekend in Laredo, Texas.
The trucks, which contained 440 cases of the tequila, were hijacked either on November 9 or 10. This batch of Santo Tequila took a painstaking 39 months to produce, making the loss even more significant.
Speaking to PEOPLE magazine, Fieri expressed his frustration, noting that this year had been the brand’s best yet, and the timing of the theft couldn’t be worse, with the holiday season being peak demand for the product.
“This is our best year we’ve ever had in Santo. We just had all this momentum, and now, whatever’s on the shelf is all people are going to get,” Fieri said. He also pointed out the unusual nature of the heist, mentioning that the thieves took two trucks instead of one, which suggests a more complex operation. “It just seems so much riskier to take two trucks,” he added.
The incident is under investigation by Laredo police, the Los Angeles Cargo Criminal Apprehension Team, and CargoNet, a federal organization focused on cargo theft prevention. Fieri has also offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen goods.
“This is like a movie,” Fieri remarked, expressing disbelief over the scale of the crime. “I never in a million years thought this was coming down the pike like this, but it’s real.”
As authorities continue to investigate, Fieri remains hopeful that the stolen Santo Tequila will be recovered and the perpetrators brought to justice.