Reynosa oil theft and illegal refining linked to CJNG cartel

Organized crime in Reynosa, Mexico has taken over functions traditionally performed by the state oil sector. The criminal network progressed from tapping pipelines to smuggling gasoline and now operates large‑scale illegal refineries that generate huge fortunes.

The scheme is tied to the Jensen family – patriarch James Lael Jensen and his son Maxwell Sterling Jensen – who run a “huachicol bilateral” operation that moves Mexican crude to U.S. refineries. Their activities are coordinated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which has built cartel‑owned refineries inside Mexico. Between 2018 and 2025 the Jensens allegedly moved more than 4,000 loads of oil.

U.S. authorities (DOJ, FBI, DEA) exposed the operation in 2025, highlighting collusion among customs agents, naval officials and political actors in Mexican border states that facilitated the free passage of the shipments.