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Puebla crypto mining site uncovered in suspected cartel laundering operation
Mexican authorities have uncovered a large-scale clandestine cryptocurrency mining operation in the Sierra Norte mountains of Puebla, specifically in the municipality of Tlaola. The facility, which was discovered following reports of unusual mechanical noise and high electricity consumption, is suspected of being used by organized crime groups, such as drug cartels, for money laundering.
Initial reports indicated the seizure of approximately 300 graphics processing units (GPUs), but a subsequent inventory by the Mexican Navy revealed a total of 1,032 specialized pieces of equipment, including medium-voltage terminals, satellite antennas, and transformers. Investigators are examining whether the site was illegally drawing power from the nearby Nuevo Necaxa hydroelectric dam to minimize operational costs.
This discovery marks the fourth such mining operation found in the region since early 2025. Puebla’s Public Security Secretary, Francisco Sánchez González, has called for an investigation into potential negligence or complicity by local municipal authorities in Tlaola. The case highlights a growing trend of criminal organizations utilizing digital assets and stolen energy to facilitate complex financial crimes.
Entities
Attorney General’s Office · Chainalysis · Comissão Federal de Eletricidade · Federal Electricity Commission · Francisco Sánchez González · Mexican Navy · Nuevo Necaxa · Procuradoria-Geral da República · Puebla · Puebla Public Security Secretariat · Sierra Norte · Tlaola
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [DISPUTED] A subsequent inventory by the Mexican Navy revealed a total of 1,032 pieces of equipment at the site. desdepuebla.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] This is the fourth clandestine cryptocurrency mining farm discovered in the Puebla region since early 2025. bitcoinethereumnews.com · www.europesays.com · world-today-journal.com · crypto.news
- [● 2 SOURCES] Authorities are investigating if the facility was illegally connected to the Nuevo Necaxa hydroelectric dam infrastructure. www.coincu.com · www.crypto-news-flash.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Illicit cryptocurrency transactions worldwide exceeded $154 billion in 2025. bitcoinethereumnews.com · www.nadanews.com · crypto.news
- [● 4 SOURCES] Security analyst David Saucedo stated the operation indicates drug cartels have reached a new level of technical sophistication. bitcoinethereumnews.com · www.europesays.com · world-today-journal.com
- [DISPUTED] Authorities seized 300 GPUs, 80 medium-voltage terminals, and eight satellite antennas from a suspected crypto mining site in Tlaola, Puebla. bitcoinethereumnews.com · www.europesays.com · world-today-journal.com · crypto.news
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Puebla Public Security Secretary Francisco Sánchez González called for an investigation into potential negligence by municipal authorities in Tlaola. oronoticiaspuebla.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] The operation is being investigated for suspected electricity theft from a nearby hydroelectric dam. bitcoinethereumnews.com · www.europesays.com · world-today-journal.com · crypto.news