Forget drugs or weapons. The newest item to hit the black market? Gasoline.
According to a Thursday report from Fox Business, thieves have begun stealing fuel from gas stations using modified trucks, and thefts have caused some stations to almost be put out of business.
The thefts come as gas prices hit new astronomical highs, with the average price of a gallon of gas topping $5 a gallon for the first time on Saturday.
(Here at The Western Journal, we’ve noted how President Joe Biden’s administration has paved the way for runaway gas prices with their policies. We’ll keep on bringing America the truth. You can help us by subscribing.)
The problem is especially acute in the Las Vegas area, where modified vehicles have stolen tens of thousands of gallons of gas.
“Unfortunately, with the rise in fuel prices, we have an increase in fuel theft,” said Lt. Jeff Swanbeck, who’s with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department’s Financial Crimes Section.
“Some gas stations have been hit for thousands of gallons and they will continue to go back until the tank is drained,” he told KVVU-TV.
“That is thousands of dollars in losses for these gas stations and sometimes it almost gets to the point where it puts them out of business.”
The thieves will use specially modified trucks to steal the gas, often sitting at the pump for hours.
Nevada police say thieves are using modified trucks to steal gas https://t.co/XT834N8saI
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 9, 2022
“These thieves are very sophisticated. They will take a truck that looks just like a normal truck, like a freeway service truck, and there is intricate piping inside them,” Swanbeck said.
“They will open up the gas pump itself and there is a series of gears inside there, and they are smart enough to figure out how to manipulate the gears.”
In one case, a fuel thief was found towing a horse trailer filled with tanks worth of gas, heading west to California.
The Golden State has the highest gas prices in the nation at $6.40 a gallon.
However, gas is expensive throughout the United States at the moment, with the average price for a gallon topping $5 on Saturday for the first time, according to data from the American Automobile Association.
Despite this, the Biden administration isn’t making any drastic moves to increase production or lower gas costs, with the president claiming he’s helpless to bring prices down in the immediate future.
“There’s a lot going on right now but the idea we’re going to be able to click a switch, bring down the cost of gasoline, is not likely in the near term. Nor is it with regard to food,” Biden said earlier this month.
“We can’t take immediate action that I’m aware of yet to figure out how we’re bringing down the prices of gasoline back to $3 a gallon. And we can’t do that immediately with regard to food prices either.”
Biden has also tried to blame Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on numerous occasions despite the fact prices were soaring long before the war started in February.
REPORTER: What can you do about skyrocketing gas prices?
BIDEN: “Can’t do much right now. Russia’s responsible.” pic.twitter.com/UZrBUEsliQ
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 8, 2022
Things are bad enough that, in one Michigan county, the police department will no longer respond in person to every 911 call they receive due to the cost of fuel.
ABC: Gas prices are so high that one Michigan county’s police department has “blown through their fuel budget” and will no longer respond to every 911 call in-person. pic.twitter.com/oC2o5tcCsi
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 9, 2022
And now, gas is such an expensive commodity that it’s become a target of thieves who sell it on the black market.
The question, then, practically asks itself: If a gas station owner reports one of these thieves, will police even have the fuel to respond?
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
