Stolen Fuente Container Recovered Mostly Empty

The missing container of Arturo Fuente cigars has been found, though the cigars in the container are a much different story.

While the 40-foot container was recovered, most of the cigars in the container have not been found. Karen Smith, vice-president of The Fuente Companies, told halfwheel that “the substantial majority” of the cigars are still missing. Smith declined to comment on where or when the container was found, citing the ongoing investigation by law enforcement.

The company said it learned the container was missing on April 3.

In a letter sent to retailers, Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr. said the container went missing before it reached the company’s Tampa warehouse. It directed anyone with information that could help the investigation to contact the Miami-Dade Police Department.

The company has declined to specify exactly how many cigars were stolen, though the letter described it as “hundreds of thousands.” It said the majority of the cigars were Arturo Fuente products, though a small amount of J.C. Newman and Sosa cigars—which Fuente manufacturers for—were part of the container.