North Texas Diesel Theft Ring Busted After Stealing Thousands of Gallons a Night

A High-Tech Scheme Hidden in Plain Sight

Five people were arrested for suspected operation of an organized crime scheme targeting diesel fuel pumps across North Texas. What investigators uncovered wasn't a smash-and-grab operation — it was a sophisticated, methodical criminal enterprise that exploited everyday technology at truck stops to drain fuel and financial accounts simultaneously.

The organized group had installed payment card skimming devices on diesel pumps throughout North Texas, stealing card information and fraudulently purchasing diesel fuel with the stolen data. They would then pump the fuel into hidden compartments built into the vehicles they were driving — making each theft run nearly invisible to the naked eye.

The Scale of the Operation Is Staggering

According to the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC), investigators believe the group was stealing between 1,500 and 2,500 gallons of diesel fuel per night, operating five to six nights each week. To put that in perspective, that's enough diesel to fill a fleet of semi-trucks every single night — night after night, for weeks on end.

The Garland Police Department requested assistance from the FCIC in late April 2026 after reports of stolen fuel and compromised payment card information. Investigators later determined the group had allegedly installed skimming devices on high-flow diesel pumps across North Texas, including locations as far away as Smith County. Investigators recovered 10 skimmers and 50 altered payment cards during the operation. Investigators also recovered a laptop computer connected to a re-encoding device that was allegedly used to write stolen card numbers onto new cards.

Simultaneous Raids, Five Arrests

On Friday, three search warrants were executed in Irving and Arlington, conducted by the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, 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.

Suspects Jael Diaz Morejon and Adriana Castillo Olivero were arrested in the Arlington operation and are currently being held at the Tarrant County Jail, while Noel Pena Rodriguez and Carlos Virgilio Lopez Coba were arrested in Irving and are being held in the Dallas County Jail. Betsy Santiesteban Lopez was arrested on June 15 while arriving from Mexico and is also held at the Dallas County Jail. All five suspects face charges of engaging in organized criminal activity, a first-degree felony.

Millions in Losses — and Millions More Prevented

Authorities estimate the operation prevented approximately $10 million in additional fraud losses to Texans. That figure underscores just how far-reaching the scheme could have become had investigators not intervened when they did. Fuel theft of this scale doesn't just hurt corporate bottom lines — it drives up costs for trucking companies, small businesses, and ultimately consumers at every level of the supply chain.

Cases like this one are a reminder that card skimming has evolved well beyond the gas station convenience store. High-flow diesel pumps at truck stops — often less monitored than standard consumer pumps — have become prime targets for organized crime. As authorities continue to develop financial crimes intelligence units capable of connecting the dots across multiple jurisdictions, this bust signals that multi-agency cooperation is proving to be the most effective weapon against operations that deliberately spread their activity across county and state lines.