Prosecutor details Farías brothers’ alleged fuel-smuggling network, including influence over customs and Navy promotions

The seized vessel carrying 10 million liters of fuel in Tamaulipas allegedly belonged to something larger than a lone smuggling operation. Mexico’s Attorney General Ernestina Godoy said the investigation points to a suspected criminal network with the capacity to import, transport, store and distribute hydrocarbons that allegedly entered the country illegally.

At the center of the investigation are Manuel Roberto N and Fernando N, known as “the cousins.” According to information presented by prosecutors, the pair allegedly relied on accomplices who intervened in personnel appointments, promotions and transfers within maritime customs, Mexico’s National Customs Agency and the Navy.

Prosecutors said Manuel Roberto N allegedly managed some of those appointments and promotions directly. The account adds an institutional dimension to the case, focusing not only on the movement of illegally imported fuel but also on alleged influence over the officials and agencies responsible for controlling it.