Thieves in California recently attempted a heist targeting what they likely assumed were high-value shipments of AI hardware, but they ended up with a massive pile of nothing. The trailers, which featured prominent branding for both PlusAI and Nvidia, were stolen from outside a warehouse in Newark, California, Wired reported.
The whole ordeal started on Thursday morning when a top executive at PlusAI received a text from an acquaintance. The message said, “I have been proud of you for your adventure and success at Plus. Just saw two of your trucks near my work place!” This was definitely unexpected because those specific trailers were supposed to be docked at the company warehouse just half a mile away. Once the company realized the trailers were missing, police arrived on the scene to help recover them.
When the thieves finally broke into the trailers, they must have been incredibly disappointed. Instead of finding high-end AI chips or expensive computing equipment, they found roughly 20,000 pounds of sand in each trailer. According to PlusAI spokesperson Lauren Kwan, the company uses these simulated loads to assist with research and development testing. The trailers were recovered with 40,000 pounds of sand intact.
The haul was essentially worthless to anyone looking to make a quick buck on the black market
The actual truck cabs, which contain the sophisticated technology used for autonomous driving, were safely parked inside the warehouse during the incident. The thieves only managed to get away with the trailers, which were secured with hand locks that were broken during the theft.
As of now, the case remains under investigation, and Amy Gee, a spokesperson for the Fremont Police Department, confirmed that no arrests have been made. Nvidia did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the incident. By Thursday afternoon, the Fremont Police Department confirmed that the sand-filled trailers were safely back in the possession of PlusAI.
This event happens against a backdrop of increasing cargo theft targeting high-value computer equipment. There has been a noticeable rise in criminals specifically hunting for chips and electronics that are destined for data centers. Earlier this year, there were incidents involving security escorts being targeted so that thieves could hijack trucks carrying high-value tech. In those cases, millions of dollars worth of equipment remained unrecovered.
Beyond just AI hardware, thieves have also been targeting Tesla batteries and various bitcoin mining machines throughout the year. Data from Verisk CargoNet, which handles risk assessment, shows that enterprise-grade computer and networking equipment are among the most common targets for cargo theft across the United States.
While those other cases have often resulted in significant losses, this particular attempt at a high-tech heist turned out to be a complete bust for the thieves.
Published: Sep 28, 2026 02:08 pm