Operation against huachicoleo in the border area
In an inter-institutional deployment, the Secretary of the Navy (Semar) confirmed the seizure of 5,500 liters of diesel of alleged illegal origin, located on a property in the Municipality of Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas. The discovery occurred during a search with the participation of the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), the Pakal Immediate Reaction Force and the Border Police, in a strategic area less than 5 km from the border with Guatemala.
Details of the procedure and regional context
According to the official report, a perimeter security fence was implemented to execute the court order, where 92 drums containing hydrocarbons were seized. The liquid, with diesel characteristics, was made available to the FGR to integrate the corresponding investigation. The property was sealed and placed under police custody, although no arrests were reported.
This case is part of a wave of actions against fuel theft in the Mexican southeast. At the end of May, in Tabasco, authorities seized 3 million liters of huachicol, 18 vehicles and 4 thousand containers on a property on the Cárdenas-Villahermosa route. In February, the FGR dismantled 12 clandestine sales points on the Chiapa de Corzo-San Cristóbal highway, seizing an additional 884 liters.
Analysis of the economic and logistical impact
The huachicoleo represents million-dollar losses for the public treasury and distorts local fuel prices. Chiapas, due to its geographical location, is a critical corridor for smuggling towards Central America. Experts point out that these operations reflect a coordinated strategy to stop networks that take advantage of border porosity, although challenges persist in financial intelligence to track illicit flows.
Data from the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) indicate that, in 2024, hydrocarbon theft decreased by 12% compared to the previous year, but regions such as Soconusco maintain red flags due to the sophistication of clandestine storage methods.
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