It what sounds like the plot of a Hollywood movie, Arturo Fuente has had a 40-foot shipping container full of cigars stolen.

According to a statement from the company, which appears in full below, a shipping container was stolen en route to the company’s Tampa, Fla. warehouse on April 3, 2017. Carlos “Carlito” Fuente, Jr. said that the container contained hundreds of thousands of cigars, and the theft will cause more shortages of Fuente cigars this year.

Fuente says that the company will work to allocate cigars in a fair manner to all, and is asking for the patience of both retailers and consumers as they work through the shortage. He promises that the company will work diligently to recover from the theft but will not rush the production process or sacrifice the quality of the finished product.

Anyone with information about the theft or who is contacted by someone that is not an authorized Fuente sales representative is asked to contact the Miami-Dade Police Dept. at (305) 476-5423.

Karen Smith, vice president of The Fuente Companies, told halfwheel the container was filled with mostly Arturo Fuente product, though some J.C. Newman and Sosa cigars were all part of the theft.


 

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.