Four suspects are now running on empty after being arrested for a large-scale gasoline theft operation. The Broward Sheriff’s Office Burglary Apprehension Team (B.A.T.) and the Pembroke Pines Police Department put the brakes on their scheme.

According to detectives, the group siphoned large amounts of diesel gasoline from gas stations across Broward County. On Tuesday, March 4, BSO detectives received information that the group was active at a Wawa gas station located at 1675 West Oakland Park Blvd. in Oakland Park.

While on scene, detectives observed a Honda Odyssey that was parked directly above an underground fuel cap and was actively siphoning fuel through a hose. Two additional vehicles, a Ford Expedition and a Ford Transit van, acted as feeder vehicles for the stolen fuel. A short time later, the Honda Odyssey and the Ford Expedition traveled to the Chevron gas station at 3099 West Oakland Park Blvd. That is where detectives conducted a felony stop and took Blas Duran, Eusebio Claro and Noel Gonzalez into custody. Orlando Diaz was taken into custody in the Ford Transit near the Wawa gas station. 

After further investigation, detectives discovered the vehicles were all retrofitted with enormous tanks, many of which were filled with fuel. The suspects were extracting fuel from the underground tank and pumping it into the Honda Odyssey. The group then off loaded the fuel into 1,000 gallon fuel tanks inside the Ford Transit van, as one of the suspects in the Ford Expedition acted as a lookout.

The suspects face charges that include retail fuel theft, unlawful conveyance of fuel and grand theft.