Mexican authorities in Veracruz have detained eight people and seized 250,000 liters of stolen fuel, 12 tankers of different capacities, and a property used as a storage plant for 'huachicol' (illegally siphoned fuel), as well as electronic devices and various documentation. In a press release, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) stated that the operation was carried out jointly with the Secretariats of the Navy (Semar) and National Defense (Seden), in coordination with the Attorney General's Office (FGR), the National Guard (GN), and Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex). This action took place in the municipality of Perote after it was learned that a hazardous waste management company was being used as a front for the storage and sale of illegal hydrocarbons. During the search of the property, the men were detained, their legal rights were read to them, and along with the fuel, vehicles, and other seized objects, they were handed over to the corresponding Public Ministry agent, who will determine their legal situation and compile the case's investigation file. According to the department, the value of the seized items represents an estimated economic loss of just over 247.5 million Mexican pesos (about 13.3 million dollars) to organized crime. The seizure comes after the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, revealed during his appearance in the Senate last week that the government had seized 98 million liters of fuel in the first year of President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration. However, last September, the official confirmed the detention of public servants and businessmen for their probable participation in a corruption network that allowed the entry of a vessel with 10 million liters of hydrocarbons into Tampico, Tamaulipas. Among those detained is the Undersecretary of the Navy, Vice Admiral Roberto Farías, the son-in-law of the former Secretary of the Navy, Rafael Ojeda Farías Laguna, during the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024).
