The FBI’s Miami field office is turning up the pressure in one of its flashiest cold cases: a 2015 armored truck gold heist that agents say stripped roughly 270 pounds of gold from a TransValue shipment. During a briefing for a Citizens Academy class on Friday, agents walked through the brazen robbery and said they are still seeking information on Pedro Santamaria, a person of interest in the long-running investigation.
ASAC Fleck briefs our Citizens Academy class on a significant #FBIMiami case – the 2015 armored truck heist of 270 pounds of gold - one of the largest gold thefts in U.S. history. The FBI is seeking information on subject, Pedro Santamaria. Learn more: https://t.co/TIJy1s2crZ https://t.co/DKx7HaQOfc
— FBI Miami (@FBIMiamiFL) April 10, 2026
What investigators say happened
Federal investigators say the robbery went down on March 1, 2015 on Interstate 95 in Wilson County, North Carolina, and played out like something from a heist movie. According to case records, three armed men secretly tracked the TransValue truck with a GPS device, then used a remotely triggered gadget that filled the cab with noxious fumes and forced the vehicle to a stop.
The robbers allegedly bound the couriers, dragged them into nearby woods and then loaded multiple five-gallon buckets of gold bars into a waiting getaway vehicle. The haul was valued at about $4.8 million, and contemporaneous reporting put the weight at roughly 275 pounds, as reported by ABC11.
Who the FBI is seeking
On the FBI’s wanted poster, Pedro Santamaria is listed as a fugitive with a federal arrest warrant issued on May 18, 2016. He is charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The bureau notes that Santamaria has ties to California, Florida, Louisiana and Texas and warns that he “should be considered armed and dangerous.”
The FBI is offering up to $10,000 for information leading to Santamaria’s arrest, according to the FBI.
Past arrests and sentences
Two other men tied to the plot, Adalberto Perez and Roberto Cabrera, pleaded guilty for their roles in the robbery. Perez was later sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison and Cabrera received a sentence approaching 20 years, according to reporting by the Associated Press.
Investigators recovered at least one stolen gold bar in South Florida and say attempts to fence the rest of the haul were traced back to local contacts, a trail that helped build the federal case but still left Santamaria unaccounted for.
How to tip
The FBI says anyone with information on Santamaria or the missing gold should contact the Miami field office or submit a tip through the agency’s online portal. The wanted poster links directly to the bureau’s anonymous tip form and highlights the reward and case details, according to the FBI.
Legal implications
The indictment accuses Santamaria of Hobbs Act conspiracy and firearms offenses. Convictions on those counts can carry sentences stretching into decades in federal prison, as the punishments handed down to his co-defendants already demonstrate. Prosecutors in Miami unsealed the charges and renewed the public appeal as investigators continue to pursue domestic and international leads, according to CBS Miami.
The FBI’s renewed outreach underscores how long a high-profile case can cast a shadow and how crucial community tips can be in finally tracking down a fugitive. Anyone with information about Pedro Santamaria’s whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI’s Miami field office or submit a tip online.
