Miami police find van with 250 gallons of gasoline inside

MIAMI – Miami police impounded a van found in Little Havana Tuesday that was carrying a large amount of gasoline, authorities said.

Concerned neighbors called police about the white 1998 Ford Econoline van, which was leaking fuel and emitting a strong gas odor, police said.

Police said these types of setups are extremely dangerous. The vehicle, which had a 250-gallon tank inside, can essentially become a rolling bomb.

Vans with these types of bladders have caused at least two explosions in the Miami area in the past several years.

Last month, State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle charged 11 men with a gas skimming scheme that used similar vehicles.

Prosecutors said the men used skimmers and fake credit cards to steal thousands of dollars worth of gas. The men kept the gas in hidden bladders inside of trucks, vans, and even passenger buses, prosecutors said.

Officers briefly shut down the area around the van just after 1 p.m. in the 12000 block of Southwest Fourth Street, police said.

Teams from the Miami Fire Rescue Department were at the scene to assist officers, police said.