Seizure of fuel tanks uncovers hydrocarbon trafficking ring

The federal government has presented evidence of a sophisticated network dedicated to the illicit import, commercialization, and distribution of petroleum derivatives, operating through tax evasion and falsified product information. The investigation was initiated following the seizure of 33 ferrotanks filled with hydrocarbons in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, in July 2025.

This operation revealed an extensive structure comprising companies involved in importing petroleum derivatives from the United States, along with customs agencies, port and rail service providers, and firms responsible for transportation, sales, and distribution. Authorities verified operational centers and addresses across multiple states, including Baja California, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Querétaro, Veracruz, and Mexico City.

The network targeted 25 individuals, including business partners, operators, customs brokers, and authorized personnel from customs agencies. In a significant development, the prosecutor Ernestina Godoy Ramos confirmed the arrest of Ernesto Ruffo Appel, the former governor of Baja California, along with four other individuals. They are accused of being key members of a "colossal network" involved in fuel smuggling via ferrotanks, operating across eight states and causing an estimated loss of over 4 billion pesos to public coffers due to unpaid taxes.

According to a video message from the prosecutor, the network systematically misrepresented the cargo capacity of the rail car tanks. They declared only about 10% of the actual volume, meaning approximately 10,000 liters were reported when the tanks were capable of carrying up to 110,000 liters.

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The network declared only 10% of the real capacity of each rail car tank, meaning around 10,000 liters when they actually transported up to 110,000 liters.