The Brief

TAMPA, Fla. - Law enforcement officials say 10 people, including seven who are in the U.S. illegally, have been arrested and an 11th suspect is wanted in a statewide diesel fuel theft ring totaling roughly $650,000.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier gave details on the six-month investigation, dubbed "Operation Van Diesel," at a news conference in Tampa on Thursday.

The pair were joined by investigators from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Pasco Sheriff's Office, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The backstory:

Chronister says the investigation began about six months ago when gas stations in Hillsborough Cou

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