A widely reported theft involving roughly 40,000 pounds of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer is now part of a broader cargo-fraud investigation in Southern California, with police examining two suspicious pickups from the same distribution center within about an hour.
The incidents occurred on August 17, 2026, at the Anheuser-Busch distribution center at 4545 Brooks Street in Montclair, California. According to local reporting on the investigation, the Montclair Police Department said the two missing shipments had a combined estimated value of about $70,000. Investigators are examining whether the pickups were carried out as part of the same fraudulent cargo-theft operation.
Early reports, including the original Fox News account, described a Pabst Blue Ribbon truck as stolen. Newer reporting has clarified the sequence. Pabst officials subsequently said no vehicle was missing and that the theft involved cargo obtained through a fraudulent pickup.
Two Shipments Disappeared on August 17
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Police say the first incident occurred at about 10 a.m., when a shipment worth approximately $45,000 was collected for delivery to Tucson, Arizona. The shipment never reached its destination.
Roughly one hour later, another pickup took place at the same Montclair facility. Investigators said a company presenting itself as a subcontractor submitted fraudulent documentation and obtained approximately $25,000 worth of Anheuser-Busch and Pabst Blue Ribbon products.
Police found discrepancies in information associated with the trucking company, driver, and vehicles and are reviewing possible connections between the incidents, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Pabst senior marketing executive Paul Myers said the missing Pabst shipment contained about 40,000 pounds of beer, including roughly 1,400 cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon and nearly 200 cases of Old Milwaukee Non-Alcoholic. The shipment had been scheduled for delivery to San Diego. The quantity has commonly been described as the equivalent of more than 50,000 cans.
Pabst Offers Reward as Search Continues
Pabst brought national attention to the case through a series of social-media posts beginning several days after the theft. The company offered a reward and initially gave whoever had the shipment 18 days and 44 minutes to return it under its publicly stated offer.
The company said it was prepared to pay a cash reward equivalent to half the value of the beer if the shipment was returned safely. Pabst also encouraged people with relevant information to contact authorities or send information through its social-media accounts.
Investigation Remains Open
As of August 31, 2026, authorities had publicly announced no arrest, suspect identification or recovery of the missing cargo. Montclair police continue to examine whether the two August 17 pickups were coordinated and whether fraudulent company or driver credentials were used in both incidents. The latest California reporting also indicated that the investigation remained unresolved.
Police have asked anyone with information about the incidents, vehicles, driver, delivery company or missing cargo to contact the Montclair Police Department at 909-621-4771.
Cargo Fraud Is a Growing Supply-Chain Risk
The Montclair case reflects a wider shift in cargo crime toward deception, compromised credentials and shipment misdirection.
Verisk CargoNet recorded 677 cargo-theft incidents during the second quarter of 2026. Although that represented a 26% year-over-year decline in incident volume, estimated losses reached $304.6 million, more than double the $135.7 million estimated for the same quarter in 2025.
CargoNet said compromise-based schemes, including business-email fraud and shipment misdirection, continued at steady levels in its second-quarter theft analysis.
Food and beverages have also remained attractive targets. CargoNet reported that theft involving food and beverage products increased 47% during 2025, according to its annual cargo theft data.
For investigators in Montclair, the immediate questions center on who arranged the fraudulent pickups, where the shipments were taken and whether the two transactions share the same participants. Until police disclose further findings, the identity of those responsible and the location of the missing cargo remain unknown.
