Federal operations against hydrocarbon theft
An inter-institutional deployment led by the Secretary of the Navy (Semar) and Pemex Physical Security managed to neutralize 14 clandestine intakes in July, located in the Puebla municipalities of Huauchinango and Ahuazotepec. At the same time, the Security Cabinet reported the location of 15 additional illegal points between August 1 and 3, distributed in Coahuila, Hidalgo, Puebla, Querétaro and Jalisco. These actions bring the total number of deactivated infrastructures during 2025 to 166, according to official data.
Economic and operational impact
July 30 marked a milestone in the strategy against huachicol, with the seizure of 39,000 liters of fuel, two tank trucks and extraction equipment in León, Guanajuato. The intervention arose after anomalous chemical emissions were detected in the Ejido Pompa, a risk that justified a search warrant supported by forensic evidence. The seized materials, including the property used for storage, were sent to the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) for legal processing.
This multidisciplinary operation involved the Sedena, National Guard and SSPC, evidencing the coordination between armed forces and civil organizations. Analysts point out that the methodology used – based on territorial intelligence and vapor detection technology – reflects a systemic approach to attack not only the seizures, but the logistical networks behind organized crime.
Historical context and persistent challenges
The theft of hydrocarbons represents an annual loss estimated at 7,000 million dollars for Mexico, according to calculations by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO). Despite the progress, the adaptability of criminal groups—which resort to techniques such as underground tunnels or connections camouflaged in legal pipelines—maintains the phenomenon as a national security challenge. Experts highlight the need to modernize Pemex’s infrastructure with flow sensors and real-time geolocation systems.
The case of Guanajuato illustrates the complexity of the problem: the seized tank trucks had apocryphal documentation, which suggests infiltration into legitimate transportation chains. This modality, known as “corporate huachicol”, requires reinforced audits of contractors and stricter regulations in distribution centers.
Are you interested in learning more about energy security strategies? Share this analysis and explore our special on duct modernization on social networks. #EnergySecurity #MexicoWithoutHuachicol




