DHS raided the home of James & Kelly Jensen, kicked down their door and arrested them at their $9.1 million mansion in Sandy, Utah.
They are accused of smuggling about $300 million in illegal oil from Mexico, involving nearly 2,900 shipments between May 2022 and 2025, in collaboration with Mexican drug cartels.
The couple owns Arroyo Terminals in Rio Hondo, Texas, which was also raided.
The company operated its own fleet of 30,000-barrel barges and had storage tanks near Arroyo Colorado, according to information posted on its website.
Investigators found that the oil transported was not genuine crude oil but rather residues of lubricating oils and petroleum distillates, camouflaged with false customs documentation to cross the border.
Officials say that jpart of the illegal operation included the use of companies and bank accounts in both the United States and Mexico to hide the origin of the funds.
Payments for the oil were sent to entities in Mexico under the control of criminal organizations, and according to the indictment, James Jensen was fully aware of this.
The couple, along with their sons Max and Zachary, face charges of smuggling and money laundering. They were released with conditions, including remaining in Utah, surrendering passports, and reporting to a parole officer.
