Federal security forces have successfully dismantled a clandestine oil refinery in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, seizing over 500,000 liters of crude oil. This oil was intended for the illegal fuel market. The operation was announced by Security Minister Omar García Harfuch.
The discovery of this illegal facility was the result of intelligence operations and reconnaissance flights. This unauthorized refinery was found to be producing artisanal diesel, naphtha, solvents, and light fuel, all without the necessary permits. Such activities pose significant environmental risks to the local ecosystem.
The coordinated operation involved the Army, Navy, National Guard, and Pemex. They executed a search warrant at what was originally an industrial waste processing plant. The site had been repurposed into an illegal hydrocarbon processing facility. Authorities discovered sophisticated equipment, including:
- Seven large-capacity mobile tanks
- Four vertical tanks
- Separation equipment
- Transport pipelines
This region is known to be under the influence of criminal organizations, including cells of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Gulf Cartel. Fuel theft, locally referred to as “huachicoleo,” inflicts hundreds of millions of dollars in losses annually on the state oil company, Pemex.
In a related but separate operation, authorities seized 1.2 million liters of stolen fuel in Allende, Nuevo León, which included tanker trucks and containers. This property also lacked proper safety measures, posing hazards to the local population.
No arrests have been reported in connection with either of these operations. Both sites have been secured and are under police guard as investigations proceed.
Coatzacoalcos is strategically located on the Gulf of Mexico, near Mexico’s oil production region, with one of Pemex’s seven refineries situated only 25 kilometers inland in Minatitlán.
For more information, you can read the full article on Mexico News Daily.
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