Six pallets of advanced computing hardware valued at $11.4 million vanished after leaving Oakland, California, on August 29, 2026, bound for Fort Worth, Texas.
The shipment was loaded onto a commercial vehicle bearing the logo of a food transport company. Investigators traced the truck as it headed south and made several multi-hour stops before losing track of the vehicle entirely in San Bernardino County, according to Techpowerup. The disappearance was not reported to the Oakland Police Department until September 13, 2026, according to KTVU.
High-Value AI Hardware Drives Complex Heists
The theft reflects a broader shift in cargo crime as organized groups move away from conventional freight to target high-end microchips and enterprise computing gear. Industry data compiled by Verisk CargoNet documented 677 supply-chain theft incidents across the United States and Canada in the second quarter of 2026, marking a 26 percent drop in total volume compared to the same period in 2025. Estimated financial losses moved in the opposite direction, jumping from $135.7 million to $304.6 million as thieves targeted increasingly expensive technology loads.
I've learned 2 drivers under subcontract to @FedEx to haul $11.4 M in @nvidia cargo from Oakland to Fort Worth never made it to Texas. Instead, GPS trackers were found in Valencia & Stevenson Ranch (LA Co.) & Upland (San Bernardino Co.). Theft probe underway by @oaklandpoliceca pic.twitter.com/XmT15yUHS1
— https://x.com/henrykleeKTVU/status/2104981116230967360
In the Bay Area, targeted heists have repeatedly hit hardware shipments. Police in Fremont and Union City investigated burglaries of Nvidia shipments exceeding $7.5 million in 2025. In a separate September incident in Newark, California, thieves broke into a warehouse and stole two semi-trailers, only to discover they were loaded with 40,000 pounds of sand used for PlusAI autonomous trucking research and development testing.
Federal court records and prosecutors detail that a group of six Southern California men was previously charged in connection with a series of regional thefts that netted up to $22 million in merchandise over five years. Among those prior cases, the crew allegedly stole $7 million in Nvidia chips from a Burlingame warehouse in December 2024 while the goods were in transit to a Supermicro facility located in San Jose, as well as nearly $200,000 worth of Nvidia chips in Fremont during June 2025. Investigators stated that the network utilized fake vehicle registrations, swapped license plates, and monitored police frequencies during their operations, with searches of suspect residences uncovering pneumatic jacks, radio signal jammers, walkie-talkies, and large sums of cash.
International Black Markets Drive Hardware Demand
The enormous commercial appetite for advanced graphics processors creates intense pressure on supply chains, according to security and economic experts.
these chips command about double the price that they command inside the United States. So, if a chip costs about $550,000, then they go for about 1 million or more abroad.
Olaf Groth, Professor at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business
International black-market channels rely on established networks to move stolen enterprise hardware to buyers seeking data center infrastructure overseas. Parallel incidents have surfaced internationally, including a case at São Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport where two pallets of Zotac GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards valued at approximately $470,000 disappeared after arriving from the United States, with security footage capturing outsourced forklift operators moving the cargo.
The Oakland Police Department confirmed that its investigation into the grand theft remains active with no arrests announced.
Earlier coverage: NVIDIA RTX 50-Series Facing $500 Price Increase This Week