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<\/p>\nProsecutors say a family operating an oil terminal in Texas received 2,881 shipments of smuggled oil connected to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generaci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n
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Mexico takes on American gun companies at Supreme Court<\/p>\n
Supreme Court justices expressed skepticism as Mexico attempted to hold American gun companies responsible for drug cartel violence.<\/p>\n
MEXICO CITY \u2013 An American family operating a Texas oil company near the border has been indicted by U.S. authorities for a years-long operation that smuggled thousands of shipments of oil stolen by drug cartels, federal prosecutors announced Friday.<\/p>\n
James L. Jensen, wife Kelly A. Jensen and sons Maxwell S. and Zachary G. Jensen have all been charged in connection with the scheme. James Jensen is the operator of Arroyo Terminals, a company based in Rio Hondo that receives and distributes shipments of crude oil.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A total of 2,881 of shipments Jensen\u2019s company received since May 2022 came from Mexican smugglers tied to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generaci\u00f3n, according to the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the Southern District of Texas. Experts have previously told USA TODAY that the CJNG organized crime group is perhaps the most militant<\/a> in Mexico, turning regions into essentially warzones.<\/p>\n The case against the Jensens comes as authorities under President Donald Trump<\/a> aim to apply greater pressure to cartels smuggling drugs in the U.S. In February, the U.S. State Department designated CJNG<\/a>, the Sinaloa Cartel and other crime groups as terrorist organizations.<\/p>\n \u201cThis case underscores the more aggressive and innovative approach the Southern District of Texas is taking towards combating the scourge of drug cartels,\u201d said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. \u201cThis strategy focuses not just on the traffickers and trigger-pullers directly employed by the cartels, but also targeting their confederates and enablers.\u201d<\/p>\n Most of the charges are against James and Maxwell Jensen, who face up to 20 years in prison for money laundering. They face up to 15 years collectively if convicted of aiding and abetting smuggling goods under false statements. Lawyers for the Jensens did not respond to repeated requests for comment.<\/p>\n Oil smuggling is a multi-billion-dollar business for cartels, according to the Treasury Department<\/a>. A Drug Enforcement Administration official called it \u201cthe largest funding source for Mexican drug cartels.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n American authorities\u2019 move to crack down on the Texas company handling smuggled oil comes as Mexican authorities say the practice has been a widespread issue for years with devastating effects south of the border.<\/p>\n \u201cThe narrative is that everything bad is done in Mexico and the USA only suffers the drugs,\u201d Jes\u00fas P\u00e9rez Caballero, a Mexican government researcher, told USA TODAY. \u201cBut it\u2019s impossible to do this kind of complex business without these links to support it.\u201d<\/p>\n Mexican smugglers depend on American refiners, small-time oil producers and distributors to make money from the theft.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a good start to recognize that the USA is not a passive actor in this business,\u201d Caballero said. \u201cIt\u2019s as active as the Mexican one.\u201d<\/p>\n What are the charges against the Jensens?<\/p>\n