Random events are an exciting thing to come across in GTA Online. One minute you are minding your business and the next, you are out hunting for buried treasure.
Finding random events gives you something nice and quick to do in GTA Online. It breaks up the jobs you do and usually you get a decent reward for doing them. The Smuggler Trail Event is no different. Here, we are going to go over what the event is and how you complete it.
How To Start The Smuggler Trail Event

Rockstar is always trying to add something new in GTA Online for players to enjoy. One of the newer things that they added is the smuggler trail event as a part of the Criminal Enterprises update they released.
The first thing you need to understand is that the smuggler trail event is a random event that can occur at any time. You will have to randomly find the event to start it. What you are looking for is a red flare on the ground. There are five locations where the flare can end up being. The five locations are as follows:
- Galileo Observatory, Vinewood Hills
- Hill Valley Church, Great Chaparral
- Ursula's house, Blaine County near the lighthouse
- Procopio Truck Stop
- Raton Canyon
If you are looking for this event specifically, you might need a helicopter or something similar to find the first flare. Once you have found the first flare, you will need to walk up to it to collect it. From there, it is a race against time.
After the first flare, you will need to race to the other flares in the area. If you miss out, you will have to wait 20 minutes before you can try again. But if you successfully follow the trail, you will be rewarded with the smuggler's cache.
Smuggler Trail Event Rewards
Completing the smuggler trail event will give you a nice chunk of change and some RP. You will receive $25,000 and 2000 RP at the end of the trail. Not too bad for an event that lasts less than five minutes of your time.

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