Mexico fuel theft crimes increase by 207 percent

Federal criminal cases involving fuel theft, known as huachicol, rose by 207 percent last year compared to 2024. According to the National Census of Federal and State Justice Administration by Inegi, there were 1,306 reported cases, up from 425 the previous year.

This surge marks the largest single-year increase for the crime, repositioning hydrocarbon-related offenses as the third most frequent federal crime in Mexico, trailing only weapons and explosives and fiscal matters. This follows a downward trend in 2024, when cases reached a low of 425.

An analysis by the Energy Citizen Observatory indicates that the Ministry of Finance has lost 165,437 million pesos due to these illicit activities during the current administration. This figure represents a 6.8 percent increase compared to the first two years of the previous administration and a 946 percent increase compared to the period under Enrique Peña.