GPS spoofing helps in $1,000,000 theft of celebrity tequila

November 26, 2024

Written by Editor

Image: Shutterstock

What's New: A truck hijacking using GPS spoofers that made the news because it was of celebrity chef Guy Fieri's brand of tequila.

Why It's Important: It illustrates one of the uses of relatively inexpensive, simple to use GPS  spoofing devices.

What Else to Know:

  • The government of Mexico says GPS "jammers," which probably also includes spoofers, are used in 85% of cargo thefts.
  • In 2020 the Mexico made it illegal to own or use such devices. There are criminal penalties.
  • We have made no such measurements, to the best of our knowledge, and have no such criminal provisions in the United States.
  • We have seen warnings to industry from the FBI and CBP about theft of pharmaceuticals and other high value cargo, but are unsure that anything proactive is being done on this in the U.S. 

Thanks to alert member Rob Crane for calling this to our attention.

Guy Fieri reports $1 million worth of his tequila was stolen by hijackers


AREDO, Texas (WKRC) - Guy Fieri reported that nearly $1 million worth of his tequila was stolen when the trucks carrying it disappeared after being hijacked.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Guy Fieri described how him and his business partner, musician Sammy Hagar, were confused and frustrated after 24,240 bottles of their Santo tequila disappeared...

According to an incident report obtained by PEOPLE, neither truck arrived at its intended location on time, prompting further investigation. Johanson found that the GPS trackers had likely been spoofed by the hijackers to make the company believe the trucks were in the right place, when in reality the goods were "illegally double brokered" to other carriers.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Follow us on BlueSky @GPSBackup.bsky.social

What Can YOU Do? How Can YOU Help?

PNT is the quiet backbone of everything but too many leaders still don't see the risk.

But you do. You understand the systems, the dependencies, the failure chains. That insight is rare — and it's exactly what your country needs right now. Contact your government leaders and industry decision-makers and tell them resilient PNT isn't a feature — it's the foundation everything else depends on.

Start the Conversation

Use our Resilient PNT Key Talking Points to make the case.

U.S. Advocates

Find your representatives at Congress.gov, then use our email template to reach them in minutes.

When you get a response, let us know. Every conversation strengthens the mission.

More PNT News

UK maritime navigation leader on chokepoints – PoliticsHome

UK maritime navigation leader on chokepoints – PoliticsHome

Image: UK General Lighthouse Authority - 28 days of ship traffic in Dover Strait What's new: An opinion piece from the head of the UK's General Lighthouse Authority which is responsible for maritime aids to navigation and assists government in marine spatial planning....

Lithuania Warns Russia Can Spoof GPS Across Europe – tovima.com

Lithuania Warns Russia Can Spoof GPS Across Europe – tovima.com

Image: Spoofing activity in northern Europe displayed on GPSWise.areo What's new: A report of increased Russian spoofing capability in Kaliningrad. Why it's important: Spoofing is hazardously misleading information and can result in tragedy. What else to know:...

Russia attacks NATO with drones – The Telegraph

Russia attacks NATO with drones – The Telegraph

Image: Shutterstock What's new: A report of Russia spoofing Ukrainian drones and sending them against NATO targets. Why it's important: Russia is attacking NATO kinetically. This is not just electronic warfare anymore. Secondarily: If true, it shows Ukraine is still...

Canada Ending Radio Time Signals (accuracy

Canada Ending Radio Time Signals (accuracy <1ms)

Image: Shutterstock What's new: Canada has announced it is cancelling its short wave time signals as of the 22nd of June 2026. Why it's important: The other sources of official time from the Canadian government (National Research Council, or NRC) are less accurate...

Get PNT News in Your Inbox