More than $1 million worth of Santo Tequila stolen from Guy Fieri and Sammy Hagar
The Santo Spirits tequila brand, founded by Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri, has suffered a theft exceeding $1 million.
Two trucks filled with 4,440 cases of tequila—totaling 24,240 bottles—were misdirected from their course to a Pennsylvania spirits importer responsible for distributing Hagar and Fieri’s tequila products.
These trucks departed from Laredo, Texas, on November 7. During the weekend of November 9-10, the importer began receiving misleading updates from the trucking company about a supposed vehicle breakdown that required repairs, according to Santo Spirits CEO Dan Butkus, who spoke to YSL News.
After several days, both the trucking company and the importer noticed discrepancies with the shipment. It appeared that an unauthorized party had manipulated the trucks’ GPS signals, making it seem like they were on the correct route when they were not. Butkus noted it took around five days before the broker recognized that the shipment had indeed been stolen.
Currently, authorities have no leads on the whereabouts of the missing tequila. This loss represents approximately 12% of the company’s annual sales.
Among the stolen items were cases of Santo’s blanco and reposado tequilas, along with 40 cases of a new extra añejo tequila that had been aged for 39 months.
In a statement to YSL News, Sammy Hagar expressed his disappointment, stating, “It’s incredibly unfortunate for this to happen during what is our most successful year thus far, especially right before the holidays. This is a major hurdle for any independent company in a fiercely competitive market. However, Guy and I are determined to push forward. Our distillery is working tirelessly to replenish our stock. Most importantly, we are relieved that no one was harmed. We wish everyone a joyful holiday season with their loved ones.”
Guy Fieri added in an interview with People.com, which first broke the story, “We’ve put in so much effort. This has been our best year with Santo Tequila. Just when we were gaining momentum, whatever product is currently on the shelves is all that will be available to shoppers.”
One of the stolen trucks has been traced to California, and local authorities are now part of the investigation, according to Laredo Police Department spokesperson Joe Baeza. “At this early stage of the investigation, we believe the trucks may have been redirected to California due to alleged problems with the warehouse at the intended original destination, which is still being confirmed,” Baeza shared with YSL News.
Baeza also confirmed that some reports incorrectly described the incident as a hijacking. “Our findings suggest that no force was used to take the trucks, and the cargo was transferred legitimately from the warehouse to the recognized carrier hired to transport it,” Baeza explained. “The drivers involved were not harmed during the process.”