Bush Campaign Insider Surfaces in Zetas Pemex Scandal

The federal probe into the Pemex Zetas petro theft operation has coughed up  the name of one of  Karl Rove’s White House Advance team–Josh Crescenzi, Vice President of Operations at Houston-based Continental Fuels Inc.

Before landing at Continental,  Crescenzi was Vice President at  Worldwide Strategy Energy, headed by fellow Rove campaign operator and former Homeland Security advisor to the Bush White House,  Stephen Payne–a major fundraiser for the George W. Bush Presidential Library at SMU in Ft. Worth.

Further background on Payne, Worldwide Strategy and Crescenzi archived atTPMMuckraker.

Continental Fuels is one of several Texas companies implicated in the petro theft operation. The Zetas and their accomplices inside Pemex and in Texas used 149 bank accounts to launder $46 million netted in the enterprise.  Several months ago ICE  agents seized a little over $40,000 from a Continental Fuel bank account, along with more than $100,00 from the account of Valley Fuels., Ltd. in San Antonio and the $2 million out of Trammo Petroleum in Houston– cash netted from transactions of  Los Zetas-controlled shipments of condensate oil siphoned from Pemex pipelines.  See Guillermo Contreras’ story at the San Antonio Express News.

Josh Crescenzi – Vice President of Operations

Mr. Crescenzi comes to Continental Fuels after 3 years with Worldwide Strategic Partners, during

which time he held several positions leaving the company as Vice President of Operations. While at

Worldwide he represented several major international energy firms in Russia, Azerbaijan, and India.

He has a background in Governmental and Public Affairs Consultant. In 2004, he worked on the

Presidential election, working with The White House; Presidential Press Advance as a liaison to the

media during Presidential events. He has a professional certificate from the George H.W. Bush School

of Government and Public Service in Advanced International Affairs with an emphasis in National

Security, and is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a BS in Leadership Development and

Business Management.As the Zetas were using forged documents to move the stolen condensate across the border and into the Texas oil stream, it may be that the companies involved hadn’t clue where the product was coming from or didn’t much care.

As the Zetas were using forged documents to move the stolen condensate across the border and into the Texas oil stream, it may be that the companies involved hadn’t clue where the product was coming from.

According to federal officials, more asset seizures and indictments are likely on the Texas side of  Rio Bravo/Grande.