Sheinbaum clarifies legality of Guanajuato fuel seizure

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has clarified that the massive seizure of 59 million liters of fuel in San José Iturbide, Guanajuato, did not involve illegal fuel (huachicol). She stated that investigations by the Attorney General's Office (FGR) determined the industrial facility, operated by Grupo Simsa, held the necessary legal permits for storage.

Sheinbaum noted that while the fuel itself was legal, the operation identified irregularities specifically related to the transport of certain units entering the site. The company has since addressed and resolved these administrative and transport-related issues. The clarification follows a September announcement by security officials that had initially characterized the event as a historic crackdown on fuel theft.

The error in the initial reporting led to the dismissal of Juan Francisco Vera Ayala, the FGR delegate in Guanajuato, due to anomalies in the operation and the premature dissemination of information.