Five people arrested in North Texas fuel theft ring operation, officials say
Five people were arrested Friday in connection with an organized theft ring that stole thousands of gallons of fuel across North Texas, authorities said.
The investigation began in April after the Garland Police Department reported multiple incidents of stolen fuel and card numbers. Investigators determined that the group installed card-skimming devices on high-flow diesel pumps to steal payment card information and use the stolen data to obtain fuel from truck stops throughout North Texas, according to a news release from Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center.
The group allegedly stole “between 1,500 and 2,500 gallons of diesel per night, five to six nights per week” by pumping the fuel into hidden vehicle compartments. The group had placed skimming devices on fuel pumps as far away as Smith County, authorities said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies executed three search warrants simultaneously on June 12 at two locations in Irving and one in Arlington. Searches recovered skimming equipment, including 10 skimmers, 50 altered payment cards and a laptop connected to a re-encoding device allegedly used to write stolen card numbers onto new cards, according to the release
Jael Diaz Morejon and Adriana Castillo Oliveros were arrested in Arlington and held at the Tarrant County Jail.
Noel Pena Rodriguez and Carlos Virgilio Lopez Coba were arrested in Irving and held at the Dallas County Jail Betsy Santiesteban Lopez was arrested while arriving from Mexico on a flight on June 15 and is being held at the Dallas County Jail.
All five suspects are facing charges of engaging in organized criminal activity. The case will be prosecuted by the Smith County District Attorney’s Office in Tyler, the release stated.
The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center led the operations with the assistance of the Smith County District Attorney’s Office, Garland Police Department, Irving Police Department, Arlington Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety Special Operations Group, the Texas Department of Public Safety Anti-Gang Group, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force.
“Friday’s operation reflects the exceptional coordination and commitment of our local, state, and federal partners,” Texas Financial Crimes Field Operations Captain Jeff Headley said in the release. “The Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center was created by the Texas Legislature for the purpose of coordinating large-scale investigations such as this, and we are privileged to lead an effort that protects the citizens of Texas.”