Mexico seizes over 1.5 million liters of fuel in anti-huachicol raids

Mexican authorities have intensified operations against fuel theft, seizing over 1.5 million liters of hydrocarbons in a series of raids across several states. The largest single seizure occurred in Salinas Victoria, Nuevo León, where the FGR confiscated 467,000 liters of fuel, along with dozens of vehicles and equipment, from two properties Source: Excélsior. In a separate operation in Altamira, Tamaulipas, authorities seized 297,000 liters of diesel-like liquid and detained two people Source: Milenio. The Gabinete de Seguridad also reported recovering 51,910 liters in Veracruz Source: Excélsior. These actions are part of the Estrategia Nacional contra el Robo de Hidrocarburos, which has also led to the dismantling of four clandestine processing centers in San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, and Morelos, where over 500,000 liters were secured Source: La Jornada. The scale of the problem is highlighted by estimates that fuel theft, including 'huachicol fiscal,' costs Mexico up to 600 billion pesos annually, with about a third of gasoline sold in the country potentially from contraband Source: Heraldo de México. While authorities tout these seizures as progress, critics like Deputy Ricardo Mejía Berdeja accuse states like Coahuila of being epicenters of the crime, citing that 32% of national seizures occurred there Source: Heraldo de México. The operations have resulted in few arrests, with most seizures occurring without detentions, underscoring the challenge of dismantling these networks.