Not being able to “drive 55” is the least of Sammy Hagar’s worries right now. The former Van Halen singer and his Santo tequila business partner Guy Fieri had their company robbed in a truck hijacking that saw $1,000,000 worth of product disappear.
Loudwire reports that trucks transporting 4,040 cases of Santo Tequila — including blanco, reposado, and extra añejo varieties — were robbed in Laredo, Texas, just after crossing the border from Mexico. In a statement, a representative for Hager explained, “It appears this was an organized crime effort where the trucks were illegally double-brokered to different carriers who transferred the product to their trucks.”
“For a growing company like Santo, it’s really a shame for something like this to happen in the middle of our strongest year to date and right before the holidays!” Hagar added in his own personal statement. “Anyone that knows business knows that this is a huge setback for any company in a hugely competitive market. But Guy and I will survive. Most of all, we’re glad that nobody was hurt during this crime.”
Speaking to People Magazine, Fieri revealed that he and Hagar learned of the theft on Nov. 14. “We’ve worked so hard,” he lamented. “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.” While the motive for the theft is not clear, Fieri implied that “someone could be trying to break the momentum” the company has generated.
Additionally, the celebrity chef is offering a $10,000 reward if they can at least get back the extra añejo, which is the highest price point variety and takes four years to fully distill and produce. “It’s like a movie,” Fieri said, referring to the hijacking. “I never in a million years thought this was coming down the pike like this, but it’s real.”
In a statement released on Monday, Santo reps added, “After the unfortunate situation last week when our trucks were hijacked, we are extremely relieved and grateful that all members of the Santo team and the freight company are safe. We sincerely appreciate your continued support and loyalty, and apologize for any difficulty you have finding our product during this difficult time.”
“As we work through this situation, we will provide updates as more information becomes available,” the statement added.
Hagar and Fieri launched Santo in 2019. Previously, Hagar found success with his own tequila brand, Cabo Wabo.
The post Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri Lose 24,000 Bottles of Tequila in $1 Million Heist appeared first on VICE.
The post Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri Lose 24,000 Bottles of Tequila in $1 Million Heist appeared first on VICE.
