Authorities seize 800,000 liters of suspected illicit fuel in Puebla

Mexico’s Navy and federal prosecutors seized 800,000 liters of hydrocarbon during a search of a property in Huejotzingo, Puebla, where authorities suspected illegal fuel storage and handling.

The search followed investigative work into possible organized crime involving fuel offenses and illegal possession of fuel. The property belonged to a company engaged in manufacturing and marketing alternative fuels, according to a joint statement from the Navy and the Attorney General’s Office.

Authorities also seized three tanker trucks with storage tanks, computers and documents. The trucks included a green vehicle with a tank holding about 20,000 liters and a white vehicle attached to a tank with an approximate capacity of 39,500 liters. Both tanks contained liquid product.

Officials collected samples of dark and amber-colored liquids for forensic analysis to determine their composition, nature and origin. They estimated the seized material at 16.851 million pesos and said the operation affected the suspected capacity to steal, store and distribute fuel illegally.

The property was sealed and placed under government guard. The operation involved the Navy, the Attorney General’s Office, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, and Pemex.