MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s top prosecutor announced on Sunday that more arrests are expected as part of a widening investigation into fuel theft networks that span both Mexico and the United States — and could involve government officials.
The statement from Alejandro Gertz Manero, head of Mexico’s federal prosecutor’s office, came one day after authorities arrested 14 individuals, including a high-ranking Mexican navy officer tied to the former head of Mexico’s navy. The group, which also includes government officials and business leaders, was detained in connection with a major fuel seizure in northern Mexico.
The arrests mark a significant escalation in the government’s effort to combat fuel theft, known locally as huachicol, which has cost Mexico’s state-owned oil company Pemex an estimated $3.8 billion over the past five years.
U.S. officials have also been pressuring Mexico to crack down, especially following a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier in the week. The fuel theft trade often involves smuggling cheaper gasoline and diesel from U.S. border states like Texas into Mexico, bypassing import taxes — or tapping directly into pipelines in Mexico to steal and resell fuel.
“This is a clear message that we are cracking down,” said Gertz Manero, adding that the arrest of a naval officer indicates the investigation is “reaching deeper into the system.”
Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch joined Gertz Manero in downplaying concerns about widespread military involvement, insisting these were “isolated cases” and not reflective of institutional corruption. “The actions of a handful of individuals don’t tarnish an entire institution,” Harfuch said.
Still, analysts are skeptical. David Saucedo, a Mexican security expert, noted that such large-scale fuel theft operations require high-level protection.
“Huachicol networks can’t operate without political, military, and police backing,” Saucedo said. He added that increased action only seems to be coming now due to international pressure, particularly from the United States.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing, and more arrests — potentially involving additional government and military figures — are likely in the coming weeks.
