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This week the Washington Examiner reported on “Illegal Immigrants Stealing Oil from Permian Basin in Texas”.
Authorities in West Texas have reported an alarming trend of illegal immigrants assisting criminal networks in stealing truckloads of oil and materials from the Permian Basin, the nation's largest oilfield. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), whose district covers 800 miles of the Texas border, organized a meeting with federal and local law enforcement to address this growing threat, which has implications for both border security and energy security.
Gonzales highlighted that the border crisis is evolving, with Cuban nationals increasingly involved in oil theft in West Texas. Matt Coday, president and founder of the Oil & Gas Workers Association, emphasized the seriousness of this issue, noting that the theft of oil and equipment threatens the livelihoods of small, independent oil producers and poses a significant threat to national security.
Winkler County Sheriff Darin Mitchell reported a dramatic increase in oil thefts, which has started to impact local communities heavily reliant on the oil industry. Amanda Navarette, District Attorney for Winkler and Crane Counties, stressed that these crimes affect both big businesses and local systems, given the region's deep ties to the oil sector.
Gonzales became aware of the issue last year, and subsequent meetings with local sheriffs revealed that every county in his district was grappling with this problem. Thieves have been siphoning oil from storage tanks, stealing scrap metal, pipes, water, and dirt to sell on the black market.
Local police and sheriff’s departments are now being trained to check documents from drivers they stop, and an FBI-led task force is working to connect local, state, and federal law enforcement efforts. This task force aims to move beyond a fragmented approach to tackling organized crime networks involved in oil theft, human smuggling, drug trafficking, and car theft.
Monahans Police Chief Kristofer Quintana noted that these criminal organizations have expanded their activities to include oilfield theft. FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that oil field security personnel have been integrated into the task force, underscoring the multifaceted nature of these criminal enterprises.
Coday accused the Biden administration’s border policies of aiding drug cartels in taking over America's key oil-producing regions, a claim supported by the precedent of cartel dominance in Mexico’s oil industry over the past decade. Due to the newness of this problem, specific data on the financial impact of these thefts is not yet available.
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