Let’s be real for a second. Most people struggle with how to do the Cayo Perico heist because they’re trying to play it like a standard GTA mission. They charge in through the front gate, guns blazing, wonder why the alarm goes off every five seconds, and then get frustrated when El Rubio’s attack chopper turns them into Swiss cheese.
That’s doing it the hard way.
If you want the big payday—we’re talking millions of GTA dollars for a solo run—you need to think like a ghost. This heist is actually the single best way to make money in GTA Online, even after Rockstar nerfed the payout cooldowns. It’s the only heist you can do entirely alone from start to finish. But there’s a massive gap between just finishing the heist and actually mastering the efficiency of it.
Getting Started: The Kosatka and the Setup
Before you even see the island, you need the submarine. The Kosatka is your mobile command center. Talk to Miguel Madrazo at the Music Locker (underneath the Diamond Casino) and then buy the sub from Warstock Cache & Carry. It’ll set you back about $2.2 million. Honestly, don't bother with the sonar station or the guided missiles right away unless you have cash to burn. The Sparrow helicopter upgrade, however? That is non-negotiable. It spawns right next to you on the street and makes the setup missions ten times faster.
Once you’re in the sub, you’ll head to the island for the "Scope Out" mission. This is where most players waste a solid hour.
Stop scouting everything.
You don’t need to find every bolt cutter or every guard uniform. Your primary goal is to reach the communications tower, hack the signal box, and look through the cameras. You are looking for the primary target in the basement—the Sinsimito Tequila, the Ruby Necklace, the Bear Bonds, or the holy grail: the Pink Diamond. If you're really lucky and it's a special event week, you might even see the Panther Statue.
While you’re on the cameras, swing through the storage rooms. You want to see where the Gold is. Gold is the highest-value secondary loot, but you can only grab it if you have a partner since it requires two keycards to open the doors. If you're solo, look for Cocaine or Marijuana at the North Dock or the Main Dock instead.
The Most Important Discovery
While you're scouting, you absolutely must find the Drainage Tunnel.
Drive a boat to the back of El Rubio's compound, jump in the water, and dive down. When Pavel says something about a "big pipe with a grate," you’ve found it. This unlocks the Cutting Torch prep mission. Once you have that, you never have to find bolt cutters or the "Gate Key" again. You just melt your way in.
The Bare Minimum Preps
You don't need to do every prep mission. In fact, doing the "Disrupt" missions is usually a waste of time if you plan on being stealthy. If you do the heist right, the guards won't even fire a single bullet at you, so why bother destroying their armor or air support?
Here is the "Pro Speedrun" list of required preps:
✨ Don't miss: Oblivion Remastered Bodyslide Mod: Why Your Character Customization Is About to Change
- Approach Vehicle: Longfin or Kosatka. (The Longfin is actually better for solo players who want to hit the docks for loot first).
- Equipment: Plasma Cutter (or Safe Code), Fingerprint Cloner, and the Cutting Torch.
- Weapon Loadout: The "Marksman" or "Crackshot" sets are great. Just make sure you buy the Suppressors. If you don't have suppressors, you’re dead before you hit the front door.
Breaking Down the Heist: The Stealth Path
The actual execution of how to do the Cayo Perico heist depends on one thing: stealth.
If the alarm goes off inside the compound, the difficulty spikes instantly. The guards become aim-bots.
If you chose the Kosatka approach, you start underwater. Swim to the drainage tunnel, use the cutting torch, and you’re inside the compound walls. From here, it’s a short walk to El Rubio’s office.
You don't need to kill every guard. Just the ones in your direct path. Use your suppressed pistol for headshots. If you miss and they hit the alarm, just restart from the checkpoint. It’s faster than trying to fight through the infinite waves of reinforcements.
Inside the office, check the safe to the right of the desk. It’s easy money—usually around $50,000 to $100,000—and it doesn't take up space in your loot bag. Then, do the fingerprint hack. It’s a pattern-matching game. Start from the top, find the top piece, then for the second row, find the top piece and move one to the right. For the third row, move two to the right. It’s a simple algorithm that takes seconds once you memorize it.
Getting Out Alive
Once you have the primary target, leave the compound through the main gate. Don't worry, there's a button to just walk out.
Outside, there will be a guard standing next to a dirt bike. Take him out, hop on the bike, and drive toward the cliffs on the left. You don't need to go to the extraction point Pavel marked. Just drive the bike off the cliff into the ocean and swim away.
Seriously.
📖 Related: Diablo 4 Christmas Event: What Most People Get Wrong
Swim away from the island toward the deep water. Once you get far enough, the screen fades to black, and the heist is over. You just bypassed the entire island's worth of guards and El Rubio’s helicopter.
Why People Fail (The Fine Print)
Rockstar has changed the guard AI a few times. Nowadays, guards can hear unsuppressed shots from further away, and they will spot dead bodies if they are left in a patrol path.
If you are struggling, stop killing people.
You can literally run past 80% of the guards in the compound without firing a shot. Wait for them to turn their backs. Watch the cones of vision on your mini-map. It's a game of patience, not a shooter.
Also, the "Cooldown" is a real thing. If you finish the heist solo, you have to wait about 144 minutes (three in-game days) before you can start it again on Hard Mode. If you play with a friend, that cooldown is much shorter—around 48 minutes. Hard Mode is worth it because the primary target is worth 10% more and you get an extra "Elite Challenge" bonus.
Maximizing Your Profit
If you want the absolute most money, you need to fill your bag with the best secondary loot.
✨ Don't miss: Riot Games Username Change: What’s Actually Happening With Your Riot ID
- Gold: Takes up 66% of your bag. Best value. (Requires 2 players).
- Cocaine: Takes up 50% of your bag. Best for solo players.
- Weed: Takes up 33% of your bag. Decent filler.
- Cash: Takes up 25% of your bag. Avoid it unless you have no other choice.
If you’re solo, use the Longfin approach vehicle. At the start of the heist, drive the boat to the Main Dock or North Dock. Get out, loot the sheds for Cocaine, get back in your boat, and then drive to the Drainage Tunnel to enter the compound. This way, your bag is already full of the "good stuff" before you even touch the main target.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Next Run
To get the most out of your Cayo Perico runs, follow this specific sequence:
- Buy the Sparrow: If you don't have it, prioritize this over the heist itself. The time saved on preps is massive.
- The "Swim Out" Strategy: Never bother with the plane or the sub for extraction. Always jump into the ocean off the southwest cliffs. It is the safest, fastest exit.
- Master the Fingerprint Hack: Practice the "step-by-step" method (Top piece + 0, Top piece + 1, Top piece + 2) until you can do it in under 30 seconds.
- Check the Wall Safe: Always loot El Rubio’s office safe. It’s free money that doesn't count against your bag limit.
- Set Your Spawn Point: Set your spawn to "Kosatka" in the interaction menu so you can fast-travel and start preps immediately upon logging in.
The Cayo Perico heist remains the crown jewel of GTA Online's economy. While it's been adjusted over the years, the core loop is still the most efficient way to fund your criminal empire without relying on other players or tedious cargo grinds. Stick to the shadows, use the drainage tunnel, and stop over-complicating the escape.