Community | August 11, 2009 | 17 comments

Feds bust Mexico-U.S. oil smuggling scheme

source: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/08/10/national/main5231681.shtml?tag=stack

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WakeUpPeople
U.S. refineries bought millions of dollars worth of oil stolen from Mexican government pipelines and smuggled across the border, the U.S. Justice Department told The Associated Press - illegal operations now led by Mexican drug cartels expanding their reach.

Criminals - mostly drug gangs - tap remote pipelines, sometimes building pipelines of their own, to siphon off hundreds of millions of dollars worth of oil each year, the Mexican oil monopoly said. At least one U.S. oil executive has pleaded guilty to conspiracy in such a deal.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Homeland Security department is scheduled to return $2.4 million to Mexico's tax administration, the first batch of money seized during a binational investigation into smuggled oil that authorities expect to lead to more arrests and seizures.

"The United States is working with the Mexican government on the theft of oil," said Nancy Herrera, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Houston. "It's an ongoing investigation, with one indictment so far."

In that case, Donald Schroeder, president of Houston-based Trammo Petroleum, is scheduled to be sentenced in December after pleading guilty in May.

In a $2 million scheme, Herrera said, Schroeder purchased stolen Mexican oil that had been brought across the border in trucks and barges and sold it to various U.S. refineries, which she did not identify. Trammo's tiny firm profited about $150,000 in the scheme, she said.
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17 comments // Feds bust Mexico-U.S. oil smuggling scheme

  • MoonLoon
    • 0
      MoonLoon  

    • They bought millions of $ of stolen oil and Trammo made $150,000???? I have to call bullshit! More than $150,000 was made on this transaction. It disappeared into someone's pockets, no taxes. Maybe, a political contribution or bribes??? Or weapons were purchased? Off the books of course.

    • 2 years ago
  • joaarias
    • 0
      joaarias  

    • the cartels are getting too much credit on this...there's gotta be a politician or two "polishing" that shit up at the Mexican side...

    • 2 years ago
  • havertov
  • latinspy
    • 0
      latinspy  

    • So first they want to blame the swine flu on the
      mexicans, and now they wanna kick them while their down by stealing their oil. What a shame. Whatever happened to sharing a cup of sugar to your neighbor tho in contrast to the stealing part.

    • 2 years ago
  • S3th
  • DetroitBornUser
    • 0
      DetroitBornUser  

    • Why not add some more negitive news to our major new networks here and aboard , as if we not already in the spot light of other country when it come to our country and ways we "go about" obtaining oil.

    • 2 years ago
  • AdrianBikes
  • ReganMann
  • thestick
    • 0
      thestick  

    • yeah right. "its only mexican drug cartels" obviously there are men in suits doing these deals not drug crazy, gun toting, drug lords who just happen to be able to build pipelines. the people who are receiving the oil only now realized that they are a few million dollars worth of oil missing. there is a stentch of corruption reeking all the way up the chain with this recent scandel

    • 2 years ago
  • Macol
    • 0
      Macol  
    • thestick:

      I completely agree! At least one CEO knew this was going on! Of course we won't hear about that. We'll be happy if a couple gun totting Mexican mafia guys are behind bars....

      And the story is quickly dropped.

      Paid for by your neighborhood oil exec.

      This sort of shit will become more common when oil production really hits a steep decline. Then instead of the Middle East we'll be paying attention to Africa...

      You'll see.

    • 2 years ago
  • renbyrd
  • vicafri
  • MoonLoon
    • 0
      MoonLoon  
    • vicafri:

      This is pente ante compared to the Nigerian scam. Same concept, just on a larger scale. Oil composition can now be tagged as to origin, and verified legitimate, but don't hold your breath expecting justice. Does the name Marc Rich ring a bell?

    • 2 years ago
  • MoonLoon
  • msumonica
  • WakeUpPeople
  • phillyphil
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