Copper theft targeting infrastructure rises in Spain and Mexico

Criminal groups are increasingly targeting strategic infrastructure to steal copper, evolving from simple streetlamp cable theft to sophisticated operations involving wind farms and electrical grids.

In Spain, the Mossos d’Esquadra dismantled a group linked to twelve thefts at wind farms across Tarragona, Lleida, Castellón, and Zaragoza. The investigation, led by the Divisió d’Investigació Criminal, resulted in four arrests. The group targeted isolated wind turbines, extracting high-voltage cabling and transporting it to a metal recovery facility in Barcelona. The total economic damage, including repairs and lost energy production, is estimated to exceed 500,000 euros.

In Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, Mayor Eduardo Gattás Báez reported that thieves are successfully bypassing security measures by melting stolen copper into blocks to make its origin harder to trace. This activity has disabled traffic lights and public lighting across various avenues. Local authorities are considering legislative changes to restrict the sale of copper blocks that lack proof of origin.