Nvidia GPU Shipments Targeted in High-Value Cargo Thefts Across U.S. and Brazil
A stolen $11.4 million shipment of Nvidia hardware from California and a separate heist of RTX 5090 cards in Brazil highlight growing security vulnerabilities in the supply chain for advanced computing hardware.
The theft of premium graphics processing units has emerged as a lucrative criminal enterprise as demand for high-performance computing hardware intensifies. According to ABC7 News, law enforcement is investigating a major cargo theft involving Nvidia equipment valued at $11.4 million. The shipment, comprising six pallets of Nvidia hardware, departed Oakland bound for Texas on August 29. A vehicle disguised as a food transport company picked up the cargo, but investigators lost the truck's trail in San Bernardino County. The Oakland Police Department filed a theft report on September 13.
The economics of GPU theft underscore why such shipments have become targets. According to Olaf Groth, a professor at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, "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." No arrests have been announced, though authorities continue their investigation into the California incident.
Experts have flagged concerns about the security of valuable technology shipments and the national security implications of advanced computing hardware entering black-market distribution networks. The California theft is not an isolated occurrence in the sector.
A parallel incident unfolded in Brazil during September when two pallets of Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics cards, worth approximately $470,000 (R$2.5 million), vanished from Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo. The shipment, originating from the United States, arrived at the airport on September 20 and cleared customs on September 24. The pallets disappeared the day after receiving authorization for release.
Brazilian police determined that the theft likely involved assistance from airport personnel. Three airport employees came under suspicion: two outsourced forklift operators allegedly removed the pallets from a warehouse—an action captured on CCTV—while a third employee responsible for merchandise verification and release procedures allegedly facilitated bypassing the airport's electronic security systems.
The investigation took a significant turn when a Zotac RTX 5090 graphics card from the stolen shipment surfaced on OLX, a Brazilian online marketplace, listed for sale at more than $6,000. The listing displayed photographs of the card's serial number, enabling authorities to connect it to the missing shipment. The listing has been removed, but the status of the remaining stolen cards remains unknown.