Navy captain linked to fuel smuggling ring denied appeal, will remain in prison

A Mexican Navy captain, Humberto Enrique López Arellano, has been denied a protective order (amparo), meaning he will remain in prison. The decision by Jorge Adrián Cruz Flores, a Third District Judge in Penal Matters in the State of Mexico, upholds the preventive detention and trial order issued against López Arellano in September 2025.

López Arellano, formerly the director of Maritime Customs Supervision, is accused of orchestrating a scheme to simulate inspections of ships carrying fuel. Authorities allege that this operation allowed for illicit fuel trafficking, with López Arellano reportedly profiting over 13 million pesos between 2020 and 2024. He is currently held at the Altiplano maximum-security prison.

The judge's ruling stated, "The Justice of the Union does NOT grant protection or protection to ******** (Enrique López Arellano), against the acts and authorities that were specified in the fifth consideration, in terms of the ninth consideration of this ruling." López Arellano's legal team has filed an appeal against this sentence, which will be reviewed by a Collegiate Court in Penal Matters of the Second Circuit.

This case is part of a broader investigation into a fuel smuggling network within the Navy, reportedly led by Vice Admiral Manuel Roberto and Rear Admiral Fernando Farías Laguna. López Arellano was formally charged in September 2025 with organized crime for the purpose of committing hydrocarbon-related offenses. Another Navy captain, Climaco Aldape Utrera, is also facing charges in the same case and had his appeal for protection denied.