Texas Department of Public Safety investigators in San Antonio arrested Osvaldo Alvarez Benitez, 38, after uncovering what authorities describe as a coordinated credit card skimming and fuel theft operation. The affidavit links cloned cards and skimmer hardware to purchases that included nearly $12,000 charged on a DPS trooper’s stolen card and points to activity around Interstate 10, Ackerman Road and Alvarez Benitez’s Comanche Cave residence. Officials say the case also touches a U.S. Postal Service fleet card and several gas pumps and retail locations across San Antonio.
Arrest records show investigators executed a search warrant at Alvarez Benitez’s home in April and located components consistent with card skimmers and cloning equipment. Law enforcement had been watching his patterns and noticed frequent, daily stops at gas stations across town, a detail that helped tie the devices found on pumps to the suspect. The affidavit says the scheme involved cloning stolen credit card information to produce working fraud cards used to fuel multiple big rigs.
One of the victims identified in court documents was a Department of Public Safety trooper whose card data was stolen and allegedly used for about $12,000 in unauthorized purchases. Investigators used surveillance video from a truck stop near Interstate 10 and Ackerman Road to place Alvarez Benitez at a location where purchases were made, a step that helped move the case from suspicion to arrest. Authorities also connected similar activity to a U.S. Postal Service fleet card, suggesting the operation reached into commercial accounts.
Officials believe Alvarez Benitez was not acting alone and that a group worked together to steal card data and siphon diesel fuel, according to the affidavit. When officers searched his residence on Comanche Cave they reportedly found skimmers and pieces of fraud equipment, bolstering the case that these were more than opportunistic thefts. The affidavit outlines a pattern of behavior that investigators say included systematic visits to fuel pumps and repeated use of cloned cards to fill large tanks for a trucking fleet.
Local data shows credit card skimmers have appeared at a range of San Antonio businesses, including gas stations, convenience stores and ATMs over the past year. City police records cited in reporting found fewer skimmers in 2025 than in 2024, but the devices still show up at popular travel plazas and neighborhood pumps. Law enforcement warns that skimmers can be small and hard to spot, often molded to look like part of the pump or card reader.
Alvarez Benitez, who is reported to own a trucking company, faces questions about how cloned cards were used to outfit a fleet and where stolen fuel ended up. Investigators say surveillance, purchase records and the physical skimmer parts found during the search all point toward organized misuse rather than chance theft. A DPS spokesman declined to provide additional details about other possible arrests or the exact pump locations where skimmers were installed, citing the active investigation.
The case underscores how criminal networks exploit payment systems and commercial fuel accounts, affecting both private citizens and public employees. Skimming operations often start with disposable or low-profile victims, but the financial impact can climb quickly when cloned cards are used for high-dollar purchases like thousands in diesel. For owners and operators of fleets, the risk includes fraudulent charges, stolen fuel and the administrative headache of tracing transactions across multiple sites.
Investigators advise drivers and businesses to stay alert: inspect card readers and pumps for loose or mismatched parts, use pumps in sight of attendants when possible and monitor accounts for unusual charges. If someone suspects a skimmer or sees unfamiliar hardware at a pump or terminal, law enforcement recommends reporting it immediately to local police and to the card issuer. The San Antonio Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety continue to investigate, and court filings indicate the inquiry may extend to other people and locations tied to the alleged ring.
