The heist of the century in the tech world: a truck with $11.4 million worth of NVIDIA chips was stolen in the US — the criminals disguised the shipment as food delivery
One of the most high-profile thefts of high-tech equipment in recent months has occurred in the United States. A shipment of NVIDIA products worth 11.4 million dollars has disappeared without a trace in California. Six pallets of expensive equipment were supposed to be sent from Oakland to Texas, but the cargo never reached the recipient. The peculiarity of the story lies in the fact that the transportation was carried out by a truck bearing the logo of a company engaged in food transportation.
The story resembles the script of a crime film more than an ordinary cargo theft. This is not about the theft of a few graphics cards from a store, but about the disappearance of an entire shipment of equipment from one of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers.
Moreover, the value of the missing cargo amounts to $11.4 million.
How $11.4 million worth of NVIDIA chips disappeared
According to US media reports, the incident occurred in California.
On August 29, 2026, six pallets of NVIDIA equipment were shipped from Oakland. The final destination was Fort Worth, Texas.
The cargo was picked up by a truck bearing the markings of a transport company specializing in food deliveries. Initially, the handover of the cargo proceeded according to the planned procedure.
However, the vehicle subsequently disappeared from radar.
According to the investigation, the truck made several stops lasting several hours. Law enforcement later tried to reconstruct its route but lost track of it in the area of San Bernardino County.
The disappearance was only discovered in early September, when the buyers realized that the paid-for shipment of equipment had not arrived at its destination.
On September 13, 2026, information about the crime was reported to Oakland police. Law enforcement confirmed an investigation into a major theft.
Why criminals are targeting NVIDIA specifically
The reason for the interest in NVIDIA products lies in the rapid development of artificial intelligence.
The company's graphics processors are used to train neural networks, process enormous data sets, and run modern AI systems.
It is precisely these accelerators that are becoming the foundation of the infrastructure of the largest technology companies.
Demand for the equipment is so high that shipments of expensive components have turned into a separate category of risk for manufacturers and logistics operators.
According to an assessment by expert Olaf Groth of the University of California, Berkeley, scarce accelerators may cost significantly more on the international market than within the United States. This creates additional economic motivation for organized criminal groups.
This is not the first attack on NVIDIA cargo
What looks especially alarming is the fact that such crimes are not happening for the first time.
In 2025, US police investigated thefts of NVIDIA equipment in the areas of Fremont and Union City. The total value of what was stolen then exceeded $7.5 million.
In September 2026, another unusual incident occurred: criminals stole two trailers, expecting to find valuable NVIDIA equipment inside.
But instead of equipment, they found about 40,000 pounds of sand — roughly 18 tons.
The trailers were used by PlusAI for testing autonomous trucks, and the sand simulated the weight of a real cargo.
When it became clear that there was no expensive electronics inside, the stolen trailers were found nearby.
Why ordinary cargo shipments are turning into high-risk operations
The situation shows how much the economics of transporting high-tech equipment have changed.
Previously, the main objects of interest for cargo criminals were consumer electronics, clothing, and other mass-market goods.
Now components worth millions of dollars, essential for the development of artificial intelligence, are in the risk zone.
For logistics companies, this means the need to reconsider their approaches to security.
Of particular importance are:
- verification of the identity of drivers and carriers;
- checking documents during the handover of valuable cargo;
- continuous tracking of vehicles;
- additional means of protection against interference with GPS navigation;
- monitoring of the route and unauthorized stops;
- escorting especially valuable cargo.
Under such conditions, even an ordinary shipment may require a level of security comparable to the transportation of especially valuable property.
Who is behind the disappearance of the cargo?
At the moment, there is no final answer to this question.
Oakland police have confirmed the investigation, but details of the possible crime scheme are not being disclosed.
It is unknown which specific models of NVIDIA equipment were on the six pallets. It has also not been officially established how the criminals gained control of the shipment.
As of the latest published reports, there have been no arrests and no confirmed recovery of the cargo.
Bottom line: AI chips are becoming a new target for criminal business
The disappearance of $11.4 million worth of NVIDIA equipment is an indication of how expensive artificial intelligence infrastructure has become.
Today, modern graphics accelerators are not just computer components but strategically important equipment for which the largest technology companies compete.
And the higher the demand for such devices, the more attractive they become to organized criminal groups.
The most unpleasant question in this story is not even the value of what was stolen. It is what happened to the cargo after it disappeared and where the equipment, which could be worth millions of dollars, is now located.
The investigation is ongoing.
