Mexico seizes thousands of illegal slot machines in nationwide crackdown

Federal authorities in Mexico carried out Operation Dos de Bastos, removing 3,374 illegal slot machines from 89 municipalities in the State of Mexico. The seizure included 9 tonnes of cash coins worth about 9 million pesos and machines valued at roughly 50.6 million pesos. President Claudia Sheinbaum said the devices could generate up to 600 million pesos and were used for financing, extortion, loan‑sharking, gang activity and possible youth recruitment. The operation involved the Secretariat of National Defense, the National Guard and the State Prosecutor’s Office.

In a related operation in Uruapan, Michoacán, agents seized 49 slot machines together with marijuana, a narcotic substance, communication equipment and firearm cartridges, and detained a 32‑year‑old suspect, Miguel Ángel “N”. The raid was conducted by the Michoacán prosecutor’s office in coordination with the Secretariat of Security, the Army and the National Guard. Both actions are part of a broader crackdown on illegal gambling networks tied to organized crime.