Two trucks. Twenty-four thousand bottles. A million-dollar loss. For Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar, the heist that unfolded in Laredo, Texas, is a bitter setback in what should have been their most successful year yet.
The trucks, carrying premium tequila from their Santo Spirits brand, vanished over the weekend of November 9 after crossing the border from Mexico. Among the stolen cargo were bottles of their signature Santo Blanco and Reposado, as well as an irreplaceable Extra Añejo, aged nearly four years.
“This wasn’t random,” said a representative for Hagar, 77, the former Van Halen frontman. “The trucks were deliberately rerouted through fraudulent carriers—clearly a coordinated operation.”
Fieri, the Food Network star, and Hagar have built Santo Spirits into a rising force in the tequila market. But the timing of the theft, just as the holiday season approaches, has left them scrambling to recover from a potentially devastating blow.
Speaking with People Magazine, Fieri shared how they discovered the theft days later. “We’ve been riding a wave of momentum this year,” he said. “This is our strongest year ever, and now we’re left with what’s already on store shelves.”
The timing couldn’t be worse, as the company typically sees its highest demand during the holiday season. While their Mexican distillery is now operating 24/7 to replenish the lost supply, Fieri admitted it would be nearly impossible to fully restock in time for the holidays. “There’s so much work behind every bottle,” he said. “To lose it like this is tough for everyone involved.”
Hagar described the theft as a blow not just to the company but to the people behind it. “This is a fiercely competitive market, and something like this hurts all the hardworking folks who rely on these sales,” he said.
“Our distillery is independently owned and depends on us to support their workers,” Santo Spirits president Dan Butkus explained. “This loss ripples through the entire supply chain, from the distillery in Mexico to our sales and marketing teams in the U.S.”
Authorities, including the Laredo Police Department and federal cargo theft specialists, are investigating the case. Fieri has also put up a $10,000 reward for any leads that help locate the missing trucks.
Of particular concern to Fieri is recovering the stolen Extra Añejo, a product he described as the “crown jewel” of their brand. “This is something we worked on for years—it’s irreplaceable,” he said. Reflecting on the incident, Fieri acknowledged how unexpected it all feels. “This isn’t something you think will ever happen to you,” he said. “It feels like something out of a movie, but it’s our reality now.”
