Five charged in scheme using commercial vehicles to steal millions in crude oil from New Mexico pipelines

Five men are facing federal charges related to a wide-ranging scheme to steal millions of dollars worth of crude oil from pipelines in New Mexico.

Defendants Maxwell Jensen, Thomas Rees, Christopher Ortega, German Ortiz-Santillano and Christian Jesus Contreras Varela have been charged with interstate transportation of stolen property and aiding and abetting, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico.

Authorities say that the defendants conspired to steal crude oil from Plains All American Pipeline facilities in New Mexico, store it at a yard in Carlsbad, and transport it into West Texas for resale.

An investigation was launched in June 2025 after Special Agents with the Bureau of Land Management received information on the crude oil theft scheme.

Investigators documented more than twenty theft runs over approximately four weeks, siphoning hundreds of barrels per day, and each load was valued at tens of thousands of dollars.

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office:

“As alleged, Rees managed the Carlsbad yard through his company, Hound Dog Energy, where he received and sold stolen oil while producing fraudulent load tickets to disguise the thefts. Ortega directed truck drivers, prepared false documentation, and recruited additional participants to expand the conspiracy. Ortiz-Santillano, an employee of Plains All American Pipeline, abused his position to provide the conspirators access to pigging stations where the thefts occurred. Contreras Varela drove to the pipeline to connect a vacuum truck and steal the oil before returning to Rees’s yard. Jensen coordinated the scheme as the leader and organizer.“

The scheme netted millions of dollars worth of crude oil, officials said.

Contreras Varela, a Mexican national, faces an additional charge for being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

If convicted, Jensen, Rees, Ortega and Ortiz-Santillano face 10 years in prison. Contreras Varela faces up to 15 years in prison if he is convicted.