https://nypost.com/2025/05/12/us-news/utah-oil-magnate-charged-with-working-with-cartels-to-smuggle-illegal-mexican-oil/

1. Sigh, did they not think they would get caught eventually?

2. If they had lived below their means and quit while they were ahead they would have perhaps been set for life.

3. They had deep political ties.

4. At some point your reasoning and critical thinking skills must override your inclination to greed and flaunt vast wealth. Sigh!

This was their second time to be charged.

Oil theft has been rampant over the past year for my clients. I'd say my clients have had more than $4.5MM stolen, alloat surely by cartel, since last fall. And that number only comes from about 15 largely independent producer/operators.

What's the profit margin on stolen oil you buy from the black market vs oil you buy the old fashioned way? I ask because if they had $300 million worth, it seems like a really bad decision to risk jail time (not to mention opening yourself up to the cartel changing the rules of the game mid-stream or possibly needing a "favor" from you in the future) to increase your gross profit from $10 to $20 million when they turn around and sell it, or whatever the numbers are. At that volume, surely you'd still make enough money to avoid feeling the need to do something like this.

I can't even think of a delta that would make this worth it for me to even consider attempting. 5x? 10x? No thanks.

My question, When you already have what they have why risk it? I suppose more money means more power to influence but how much money and power to influence do you even need? You already pretty much can do whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it. I don't get it.

halfastros81 said:

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My question, When you already have what they have why risk it? I suppose more money means more power to influence but how much money and power to influence do you even need? You already pretty much can do whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it. I don't get it.

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I think people with a few million in the bank are largely content.

People with a few hundred million want to be billionaires.

halfastros81 said:

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My question, When you already have what they have why risk it? I suppose more money means more power to influence but how much money and power to influence do you even need? You already pretty much can do whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it. I don't get it.

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Once you turn on the tap with the cartel it doesn't get turned off until you die or get arrested. Whether it is drugs, money laundering, oil, whatever. I am guessing these Utah deal involved power players in politics that were getting paid as well and I have always suspected that a set of politicians are partnered with the cartel already. These Utah folks were mixed up to the point that they likely couldn't get out even if they wanted to.

This is what I envisioned when I read the thread title.

VP at Pierce and Pierce said:

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halfastros81 said:

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My question, When you already have what they have why risk it? I suppose more money means more power to influence but how much money and power to influence do you even need? You already pretty much can do whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it. I don't get it.

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Once you turn on the tap with the cartel it doesn't get turned off until you die or get arrested. Whether it is drugs, money laundering, oil, whatever. I am guessing these Utah deal involved power players in politics that were getting paid as well and I have always suspected that a set of politicians are partnered with the cartel already. These Utah folks were mixed up to the point that they likely couldn't get out even if they wanted to.

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Find a way to do what they want without actually doing it yourself.

Be a consultant and then tell them to go hire the people they need to do what they want.

Anything, I dunno.


Go buy a private island for your immediate and extended family once removed and disappear.

Who knows. Figure out something.

dds08 said:

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VP at Pierce and Pierce said:

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halfastros81 said:

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My question, When you already have what they have why risk it? I suppose more money means more power to influence but how much money and power to influence do you even need? You already pretty much can do whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it. I don't get it.

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Once you turn on the tap with the cartel it doesn't get turned off until you die or get arrested. Whether it is drugs, money laundering, oil, whatever. I am guessing these Utah deal involved power players in politics that were getting paid as well and I have always suspected that a set of politicians are partnered with the cartel already. These Utah folks were mixed up to the point that they likely couldn't get out even if they wanted to.

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Find a way to do what they want without actually doing it yourself.

Be a consultant and then tell them to go hire the people they need to do what they want.

Anything, I dunno.


Go buy a private island for your immediate and extended family once removed and disappear.

Who knows. Figure out something.

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There's no where you can go that the cartel or motivated politicians can't find you. This ain't walking away from being an exec at Exxon. This is the illegal and legal cartel. It's blood in blood out.