Mexican National Guard officers—sworn to protect citizens—were caught red-handed protecting a massive cartel fuel theft operation, exposing the deep infiltration of organized crime within Mexico’s security forces.
Key Takeaways
- 11 National Guard members were arrested while actively guarding and participating in a cartel fuel theft operation in Guanajuato, Mexico
- The officers were discovered using official military vehicles and Army-issued weapons to protect the illegal fuel tapping operation
- One guardsman in plainclothes was caught driving the tanker truck filled with stolen fuel from a Pemex pipeline
- Fuel theft costs Mexico’s state oil company Pemex approximately $900,000 daily, with smuggling and tax evasion costing the Mexican treasury about $24 million per day
- The U.S. Department of the Treasury has identified fuel theft as a significant revenue source for major drug cartels, including Cartel Jalisco New Generation
Guards Become Criminals: The Arrest Operation
The shocking arrests took place in Apaseo el Alto, Guanajuato, after local police responded to an anonymous tip about illegal pipeline tapping. Upon arrival, officers discovered 11 National Guard members actively participating in a sophisticated fuel theft operation. The guardsmen were caught filling a tanker truck with stolen fuel directly from a Pemex pipeline, brazenly using three official military vehicles and armed with Army-issued weapons. When questioned by local police, one guardsman attempted to flee in the fuel-laden tanker truck, further confirming their criminal involvement.
The operation resulted in the capture of three officers and eight enlisted men, some of whom were wearing civilian clothes rather than their official uniforms. The arrested guardsmen initially attempted to claim they were protecting a legitimate fuel transport operation, but their story quickly fell apart as evidence of the illegal tapping operation became clear. Several other troops reportedly managed to escape the scene before they could be apprehended, highlighting the organized nature of the criminal enterprise.
Cartel Infiltration of Security Forces
This incident demonstrates the alarming depth of cartel infiltration into Mexico’s security apparatus. The National Guard, created under the current administration as an elite force to combat organized crime, has instead become compromised by the very criminal organizations it was designed to fight. The arrested guardsmen weren’t merely turning a blind eye to criminal activity—they were active participants using government resources, vehicles, and weapons to facilitate cartel operations.
The involvement of a plainclothes federal officer as the driver of the tractor-trailer demonstrates how cartels have strategically placed their operatives throughout Mexico’s security forces. This infiltration allows criminal organizations to operate with near impunity, using official channels to protect their illicit businesses. The Defense Ministry has confirmed the involvement of National Guard members and verified that the weapons and vehicles used were indeed Army-issue, exposing significant security vulnerabilities within Mexico’s military institutions.
The Massive Financial Impact of Fuel Theft
Fuel theft, known locally as “huachicoleo,” represents a major financial drain on Mexico’s economy and a significant revenue stream for drug cartels. The practice costs Pemex, Mexico’s state oil company, approximately $900,000 daily in direct losses. When combined with related smuggling operations and tax evasion schemes, the total cost to the Mexican treasury balloons to roughly $24 million per day—an astounding figure that underscores why cartels are so heavily invested in these operations.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has identified fuel theft as a crucial revenue source for major drug cartels, particularly the Cartel Jalisco New Generation. These criminal organizations don’t limit their operations to Mexico; stolen fuel is frequently smuggled across the border into the United States for illegal sale, extending the reach and impact of these criminal enterprises into American communities. Transnational companies have been implicated in avoiding taxes by misreporting contraband fuel as non-taxable items, further compounding the economic damage.
A Regional Crisis
Guanajuato has become an epicenter for fuel theft operations in Mexico, with numerous cases of criminal organizations tapping into underground fuel lines. The state’s strategic location and extensive pipeline infrastructure make it an ideal target for these operations. The arrested guardsmen are just the latest in a series of security personnel caught facilitating these crimes. In a separate incident in the same region, additional arrests were made in connection with another fuel theft operation, though connections between the cases remain unclear.
The suspects, along with their weapons, have been transferred to the Federal Attorney General’s Office, and their vehicles have been impounded. This case represents a significant embarrassment for Mexico’s security forces and raises serious questions about the effectiveness of current strategies to combat the influence of cartels within government institutions. As long as security forces remain compromised, efforts to curb cartel operations will likely continue to fall short, leaving both Mexican citizens and American communities vulnerable to the far-reaching consequences of organized crime.
