WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, during a House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science hearing, Congressman Tony Gonzales (TX-23) shared with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director, Kash Patel, the importance of protecting the Permian Basin’s resources. The Permian Basin Oil Theft Task Force, an FBI-led initiative, has played a substantial role in combating oil theft in West Texas.
“There's a part of my district, one of my counties [Reeves County], that produces more natural gas than anywhere else in the country…I want to highlight something for you that has worked…the Permian Basin Oil Theft Task Force. Oil theft in West Texas is a real deal…especially with the border crisis that we had to deal with over the last four years. That is a program, once again, without the FBI being at the core of providing the intelligence and the expertise, it's really difficult for some of these sheriffs and local municipalities to tackle these organized crimes. As you're working through the budget process…as you're working through what has to stick and what has to go, the Permian Basin Oil Theft Task Force is very important,” said Congressman Tony Gonzales during today’s hearing.
During the 118th Congress, Congressman Gonzales introduced the Protect the Permian Act, which increases criminal penalties for stealing, transporting, and selling oil and oil field-related equipment and expands federal resources to law enforcement agencies to target oil theft. Congressman Gonzales also hosted a roundtable in Monahans, Texas on the rise in oilfield theft in West Texas where he was joined by the FBI and local law enforcement from across the region.
Since 2008, the FBI has partnered with local law enforcement through the Permian Basin Oil Theft Task Force to investigate oilfield theft, gather intelligence, and combat the increasing theft in the region. Their efforts are crucial to safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s largest oil-producing region. Oil and gas theft presents a significant threat to both the economic stability and national security of the United States, with truckloads of oil and valuable equipment frequently stolen. These stolen assets are sold on the black market, fueling the illicit economy in West Texas.
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