Mexican federal and state security forces carried out a raid in San José Iturbide, a town in the central state of Guanajuato, where they seized an enormous stash of liquid initially believed to be stolen fuel, along with storage tanks and vehicles used to transport it. Officials estimated the haul at roughly 59 million liters—more than 15.5 million gallons—of what was first described as illegally obtained hydrocarbon.
In Mexico, this kind of theft is commonly known as “huachicol,” a term used for fuel siphoned illegally from pipelines or otherwise diverted outside official channels. It has long been a major security and economic problem in the country, fueling violence among criminal groups that control illicit fuel networks.
Following the raid, the case was transferred to the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (FEMDO), a federal agency based in Mexico City that handles major organized-crime investigations. Despite the scale of the seizure, authorities have not confirmed that the liquid found actually qualifies as huachicol, raising questions about the nature of the operation and what, exactly, was uncovered during the search.
The case remains under investigation as officials work to determine the true origin and legal status of the seized hydrocarbon. To read the full original report from Reforma, follow the link above.
Source: Atraen carpeta a CDMX; no hallan huachicol (Reforma).
Image: U.S. Customs and Border Protection.