Mexico fuel smuggling operation involves falsified cargo and cartel links

Authorities have uncovered a large-scale fuel smuggling operation involving the falsification of cargo documentation at Mexican ports. In Tampico, Tamaulipas, the Singapore-flagged vessel Challenge Procyon arrived on March 19, 2025, declaring 17,459 tons of lubricant additives. However, the Fiscalía General de la República reported the ship was actually carrying 10 million liters of diesel under manipulated fiscal documents.

This incident is linked to a broader operation involving the vessel Torm Agnes, which docked in Ensenada with 11 million liters of fuel also falsely declared as lubricants. The cargo was rapidly transferred to tankers owned by Mefra Fletes, a company linked by U.S. investigations to the CJNG cartel.

The Torm Agnes also moved toward Guaymas, where the Deputy Director of Customs Operations, Juan Carlos Soto Picha, reportedly authorized a shipment without the physical presentation of the goods. The discharge was abruptly suspended following reports that authorities were investigating the Challenge Procyon, allegedly prompted by information provided by the United States government.