The Cayo Perico Heist/Preparations

The Cayo Perico Heist Preparations are freemode missions that require players to complete a set of operations around Los Santos and San Andreas, in order to put into place the means to carry out The Cayo Perico Heist. All of these missions can be viewed and started from the prep screen on the bridge of the Kosatka, and become available after the player has completed the minimum requirements for scoping out the heist during the Intel mission. Missions must be initiated as a CEO or MC Club President, but are available in any lobby type (i.e. they are not restricted to public free roam sessions).

Although the player must complete a set of mandatory missions in order to activate the Finale setup screen, some are optional but can provide additional options for the player to have available when finalizing the setup for the heist, some of which are one-offs for each playthrough but confer advantages during the heist itself. An additional amount of prepwork becomes available when the Finale is active, which determines if the player will have a support crew on standby to assist during the heist.

All the missions can be completed in an invite-only session. When a prep mission is done in a public lobby and the player(s) has secured the main objective, once the global signal ends, other players will receive a text alert from 'their' Pavel.

"Surveillance suggests that someone is currently moving some equipment we could use in our operation. We could ask them nicely, or..."

- Pavel

"Good news. Another organization is relocating some of their equipment - we could use it for our work. Low-hanging fruit, yes?"

- Pavel

"I have reports of a rival organization transporting some equipment that would be useful to us. If you want it, it's there for the taking."

- Pavel

Prep Screen
The prep screen contains several preparation missions that can be conducted. Each falls into one of four categories: Approach Vehicle; Equipment; Weapon Loadout; and Disruption. All are mandatory for activating the Heist Finale, except for the Disruption missions which are optional.

Preparations must be repeated every time the heist is run. Pavel explains this is because they destroy all equipment so as to not leave any loose ends that El Rubio can track back to them. "Ours is a strange business, kapitan. We work so hard to get new weapons, vehicles, equipment... and then afterwards, we destroy it all. The only way to be safe not sorry, yes? We leave behind a single piece of the jigsaw, Mr. Rubio will finish it."

- One of Pavel's explanations for repeating the prep work every time

Approach Vehicle
At least one of these missions must be completed to proceed to the Finale, leaving the rest to become optional for the player to undertake. However, opting for other approaches will require them to be done nonetheless:


 * Kosatka – A sonar deflector must be stolen from a Merryweather-operated submarine and taken to the Kosatka. This allows for the player to use the Kosatka using scuba gear to swim to the island infiltration point.
 * Alkonost (Pilot) – A RO-86 Alkonost must be stolen from Fort Zancudo and flown to Miguel Madrazo's hangar at Los Santos International Airport, after which a task must be completed for the pilot. This allows the player to parachute to the island.
 * Velum – A Velum 5-Seater must be stolen from drug smugglers at an airstrip, then flown to Miguel Madrazo's hangar at Los Santos International Airport. This allows the player to pose as a drug smuggler and have access around the airstrip. Requires the Weapon Stash support option to have weapons available on the island.
 * Stealth helicopter (Pilot) – An Annihilator Stealth must be stolen from a location and be flown to Miguel Madrazo's hangar at the Los Santos International Airport, after which a task must be completed for the pilot unless it has already been done for the Alkonost. This allows the player to rappel from the undetected helicopter to the island.
 * Patrol Boat – A Kurtz 31 Patrol Boat must be stolen from a location and delivered to a drop-off point. This allows the player to approach the island in a weaponized surface vessel.
 * Longfin – A Longfin on a trailer must be stolen from the parking lot of a police station around Los Santos using a truck cab. With this vehicle, the player can pose as a drug smuggler, allowing access around the chosen dock access point before stealing the primary target.

Equipment
Three of the equipment missions in this category are mandatory for activating the Finale. While both the Primary Target equipment and Basement entry equipment have to be completed, only one of the Compound Entry equipment missions needs to be completed; the other becomes optional.


 * Safe Code (Only if the primary target is in the safe) – The code to the safe must be collected from El Rubio's head of security, who is at a party at El Rubio's Diamond Casino Penthouse.
 * Plasma Cutter (Only if the primary target is in the glass case) – A plasma cutter, which will be used to cut through the glass case, must be stolen from a heist crew, who are using it to rob a bank.
 * Fingerprint Cloner – A fingerprint cloner, which will be used to gain access to the compound basement, must be located and stolen from the archives of El Rubio's head of cybersecurity.
 * Cutting Torch (Does not become available until the drainage pipe is discovered) – A cutting torch, which will be used to cut through locks (without the need of bolt cutters) and the drainage pipe's grates, must be acquired from a construction site, which is being guarded.
 * Demolition Charges – Explosive demolition charges, which will be used to break through the compound's gates, must be stolen from the O'Neil Brothers, who are keeping them in the basement of the O'Neil Ranch.

Weapon Loadout
Although five setups are available for the player to chose from for the finale, all follow the same prep mission structure:


 * Unmarked Weapons – The selected loadout must be stolen from either an armed gang's office or from a Merryweather Avenger after tailing a Valkyrie to the site.

Suppressors do not have a prep mission, but are optional addition for the heist nonetheless. The player can opt to use these in the Finale, but must purchase them first for an upfront cost of $5,000.

Disruption
These missions are entirely optional, but serve to make the heist easier to complete by decreasing the effectiveness of the guards on the island. However, players have less than 10 minutes to complete each mission's objectives, and can only conduct the mission on each playthrough of the heist strand:


 * Disrupt Weapons – Three of El Rubio's arms dealers must be killed. One is located near a helicopter, one is testing Ballistic Equipment, and one is in a Barrage. Completing this mission will weaken and downgrade the guards' weapons during the heist and ensure Ballistic Equipment is not encountered in the compound.
 * Disrupt Armor – Ten crates containing body armor destined for El Rubio's guards must be destroyed. Nine of them are located in and around a guarded warehouse; after these are destroyed, a Tug containing the last shipment of body armor heading south must be intercepted and destroyed. Completing this mission will ensure the guards do not wear body armor during the heist.
 * Disrupt Air Support – Ten Buzzard Attack Choppers destined for El Rubio's guards must be destroyed. Two groups of Buzzards are located on land, while two groups of Buzzards spawn in the water on a raft pulled by a Tug. Completing this mission will ensure Buzzards will not attack the player if the alarm is sounded during the heist.

Finale Screen
The finale screen becomes accessible when the minimum mandatory prep missions have been completed, and provides a list of the approach vehicles, infiltration points, compound entry points, escape points, time of day, and weapon loadout available to the player. In addition, it provides tips on how the time of day will affect the heist, and provides access to hiring Support Crew members.

Bugs/Glitches

 * If the player starts any Disruption mission and then switches sessions, the mission will be marked as completed. This was patched in later updates.