Mexico investigation targets fuel smuggling network

A criminal network is under investigation for tax evasion through a scheme known as “huachicol fiscal.” The organization allegedly disguised tankers filled with illicit diesel as lubricant oil additives at several Mexican ports, including Altamira, Tampico, Manzanillo, Veracruz, and Ensenada.

The investigation has drawn attention to Senator Adán Augusto López Hernández and Andrés Manuel López Beltrán following statements made by former Vice Admiral Manuel Roberto Farías Laguna. Farías Laguna, currently detained, mentioned both individuals in a questionnaire related to the Procyon case. However, the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) stated it lacks sufficient evidence to open investigations against them based solely on these claims.

A discrepancy has emerged between federal institutions regarding the origin of the probe. FGR Attorney General Ernestina Godoy claimed that former Navy Secretary Rafael Ojeda Durán provided the information that initiated investigations into illegal fuel trafficking involving naval elements. Conversely, the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) reported finding no official records or documents confirming that Ojeda Durán ever filed such a complaint.