A Utah couple and two of their sons were arrested and indicted on federal charges in connection with a scheme to smuggle crude oil into the United States, according to federal court records. 

James Jensen and his wife, Kelly Jensen, were arrested on Wednesday in Utah. Federal court records say that they have been ordered to report to the Brownsville federal courthouse by Thursday, May 8, where their sons have already made their initial court appearance.

The website for the Arroyo Terminals, a crude oil purchasing company in Rio Hondo, listed James Jensen as the owner, but as of Sunday evening the website states that the site is “currently private.” 

Federal court records show James Jensen and one of his sons, Maxwell Jensen, are facing charges of money laundering and smuggling of goods. Kelly Jensen and another son, Zachary, are facing money laundering charges.

The indictment against the four individuals accuses them of smuggling 2,881 shipments of crude oil into the country since May 2022.

“James Jensen conspired with his wife Kelly Jensen and two of his sons, Maxwell and Zachary Jensen, to launder proceeds from sales of illegally imported crude oil,” a warrant filed for James Jensen’s arrests states. "The payments for this crude oil were directed to businesses in Mexico that operate only through the permission of Mexican criminal organization. James Jensen was aware that the payments he made were going to these Mexican criminal organizations.”

In the warrant, authorities allege that over $47 million went from businesses run by James and Kelly Jensen to “Mexican businesses.” 

According to the indictment, approximately $300 million in property owned by the family is subject to forfeiture if they are convicted, including the Arroyo Terminals property.

Channel 5 News cameras were rolling Wednesday as agents with the FBI and troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety raided the business. An FBI spokesperson previously told Channel 5 News the agency was there in coordination with other law enforcement agencies. 

Federal court records in Utah show that James Jensen and Kelly Jensen have been released from federal custody with conditions, including surrendering their passports.

Their sons made their initial court appearance on Thursday in the Brownsville federal courthouse. They’re being held without bond and each have their arraignments and detention hearings set for Tuesday, April 29.