Florida officials say gas stations supplied by CITGO have ‘strong likelihood’ of diesel contamination

Florida officials announced on Sunday that fuel purchased after 10 a.m. on Saturday was likely contaminated with diesel if it was supplied by CITGO from the Port of Tampa.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) made the announcement on social media, saying the contamination was caused by human error.

Gov. Ron DeSantis noted the announcement during a press conference regarding Tropical Storm Idalia, which is barreling toward the U.S. southern coast and could make landfall in Florida.

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DeSantis said an investigation into the fuel contamination and how widespread it is, is underway.

The governor also said the contamination was “just human error,” and the workers put diesel in tanks that were supposed to be for regular gasoline.

“Obviously if you have a tank of gas, and it’s 90% regular and 10% diesel, the dilution…probably may not ruin your car, but I mean if you put a whole tank of diesel in, that’s going to be a major, major problem,” DeSantis said.

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The fuel nozzle in a car at a gasoline pump at the Citgo gas station.  (Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images / Getty Images)

He added that he spoke with FDACS Wilton Simpson, who said they were trying to get a list of all the gas stations that may have cross-contaminated fuel, so people know if they filled up at those stations.

The FDACS said if anyone believes they were sold contaminated gas, they can file a complaint by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA or by visiting fdacs.gov.

A spokesperson for CITGO told Fox News Digital that on Saturday, the company discovered contaminated product at its Tampa, Florida terminal because of a product routing issue at the terminal, and immediately shut down the rack.

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ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – JULY 17: Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis delivers remarks at the 2023 Christians United for Israel summit on July 17, 2023, in Arlington, Virginia. For this year’s summit, CUFI hosts 2024 Republic (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“All CITGO Marketers who lifted gasoline and diesel from the terminal between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. have been notified and asked to stop sales,” a statement from the company read. “A limited number of retail locations are affected, and CITGO is currently coordinating efforts to remove the product from the retail locations that received it.”

The company said it is committed to safe, reliable and responsible operations and is conducting a full investigation into the incident.

CITGO also said it is committed to maintaining the quality of its fuels and ensuring customer confidence in its products and brand.

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If a consumer believes they purchased contaminated fuel on or after Aug. 26, they can file a claim with the CITGO Good Gas Guarantee program on the company’s website.