Mexican narcoperros find something else to smuggle: Crude.

Oil, that is. Black gold. Texas tea.

Not too surprising, I suppose, especially given last year's inflated crude oil prices.<blockquote>MEXICO CITY – U.S. Justice Department officials say U.S. refineries are buying stolen oil siphoned from Mexican government pipelines and smuggled across the border — in some cases by drug cartels.

U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials are working together to track the stolen oil, which is hauled by tanker and barge into the United States.

The U.S. government plans to hand over $2.4 million to Mexico on Tuesday following a joint investigation.

Mexican authorities in April seized $46 million from the Zetas, a group of hit men tied to the Gulf Cartel, that they say came from selling stolen oil.</blockquote>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090810/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_drug_war_stolen_oil_1

 

How do they get all that oil in their butt?

 

And suddenly Mexico's motivation to shut these guys down goes up another notch.

 

Writethru of the original four-graf blurb: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090811/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_drug_war_stolen_oil_7