Police in Oakland, California, are investigating the theft of $11.4 million worth of Nvidia computer hardware. The shipment, consisting of six pallets, disappeared in transit from Oakland to Fort Worth, Texas. Experts describe the incident as an example of increasingly complex thefts of advanced-technology equipment. No arrests of suspects have been reported so far.
The shipment left Oakland on Aug. 29, 2026, and was supposed to be delivered to its recipient in Fort Worth. According to authorities, the cargo was picked up as scheduled by a truck identified as a vehicle belonging to a food transport company. Investigators later lost track of the vehicle in San Bernardino County in Southern California.
“The Oakland Police Department is investigating a theft of significant value that occurred in East Oakland. The victim reported the crime on Sept. 13, 2026,” police said in an official statement.
Olaf Groth, a professor at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and the global economy, pointed to the high market value of advanced Nvidia chips. In his view, strong demand for such components creates a powerful incentive to intercept shipments.
“There are plenty of incentives to intercept these chips wherever security is weak,” he said. Groth estimated that some chips can fetch prices abroad that are twice as high as in the United States. As an example, he cited components worth about $550,000 on the American market that could cost $1 million or more outside the country.
The expert also noted that the rising value and scale of the cargo being shipped encourage the development of more organized — fittingly — criminal groups.
“As the loads get bigger, the heists get more complex, which points to the professionalization of the crews intercepting these shipments,” he said. The professor stressed that protecting advanced computer chips matters not only for the economy but also for national security. He voiced concern that stolen components could end up on foreign markets, including in China or in conflict-affected regions.
This is not the first theft of Nvidia equipment in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2025, police in Fremont and Union City investigated burglaries involving the company’s cargo with a combined value of more than $7.5 million. In another incident, captured in September on video that a resident gave to police, suspects reportedly tried to rob trucks, believing they were carrying expensive Nvidia equipment. In fact, the vehicles were hauling about 40,000 pounds, or more than 18 metric tons, of… sand.
Editor: JŁ
