Puebla, the epicenter of fuel theft

On May 2017, EL UNIVERSAL revealed the profits generated by fuel theft.

According to a report made by state authorities, from January to November 2017, they seized 4,403,116 fuel liters ; if it had been sold in the black market , criminal organizations would have earned over MXN $39 million.

During that period, the authorities in charge of fighting fuel theft found 788 illegal fuel taps in the “red triangle” , they also seized 2,351 vehicles, and arrested 694 people.

The “red triangle” is comprised by Acajete, Tepeaca, Acatzingo, Quecholac, Tecamachalco, and Palmar del Bravo.

Nevertheless, official numbers indicate that the problem also affects the city of Puebla, San Martín Texmelucan, Atzinzintla, Esperanza, and Amozoc .

On May 2017, EL UNIVERSAL revealed that around 1,228 vehicles have been seized by the authorities, all of them had been stolen and used for fuel theft.

According to intelligence, criminal organizations led by Antonio Martínez “El Toñín” or Roberto de los Santos de Jesús “ El Bukanas”, specifically steal vehicles to use them to transport stolen fuel. They mainly steal them in the highways in the six municipalities that comprise the “red triangle.”

It was revealed that each of these vehicles seized by authorities had been modified to carry fuel containers, which could transport between 500 and 1,500 fuel liters.

Another common phenomenon in Puebla is the sale of stolen fuel at gas stations . On June 2017, Pemex confirmed it had ended its contracts with 7 gas stations in Palmar de Bravo, Cuyoaco, Tecamachalco, Huixcolotla, and Quecholac, in Puebla .

Countrywide, Puebla is the state where stolen fuel is seized the most.

According to data from Pemex and the PGR , the total fuel liters seized during that period was 2,649,967.

The results of Mexico’s fuel theft crackdown