Texas oil thefts linked to illegal immigration spark federal response

A border congressman is preparing legislation to crack down on criminal rings responsible for large-scale oil and gasoline theft across the Permian Basin in West Texas.

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) plans to introduce a bill in the next few days that is one step in a long-term effort to go after the organized crime networks carrying out costly, wide-scale attacks on large and small oil companies in a region that is the country’s largest oil producer.