Mexico's Mocorito and Matamoros hit by utility disruptions amid cable theft and illegal power hookups

In the town of Mocorito, Sinaloa, thieves stole about 100 meters of specialized electrical cable intended for a new motor at the municipal water well. The theft delayed the installation of the motor, leaving the community without potable water. Municipal water officials filed a police report and expect a replacement cable within three to five days, with the motor slated for installation next Wednesday.

In Matamoros, Tamaulipas, state energy officials warned that illegal clandestine electricity connections—known locally as “diablitos”—are widespread in homes, businesses and high‑load centers. These unregistered loads overload the grid, contributing to recent large‑scale blackouts. The secretary of energy development, Walter Julián Ángel Jiménez, said the state will work with the federal utility CFE to strengthen maintenance and regularize illegal users to improve grid reliability.