Tamaulipas fuel smuggling investigations target massive tax evasion

Federal investigations in Tamaulipas are targeting large-scale fuel smuggling and tax evasion schemes, often referred to as ‘huachicol fiscal’. An investigation by Mexicanos Contra la Corrupción y la Impunidad (MCCI) reveals that companies in the state, including Aktio Logistics and Grupo Petrotamps, have accumulated tax debts totaling approximately 18.95 billion pesos related to the import of fuels and petroleum products.

The schemes involve complex operations to evade taxes, such as misdeclaring diesel, gasoline, and naphtha as calcium chloride solution. In Matamoros, the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) is investigating the movement of roughly 144 million liters of fuel. The FGR described this as ‘one of the largest fuel smuggling schemes detected in the country’, involving customs agents, logistics operators, and public officials.

Additional maritime and rail operations have been identified. In the port of Tampico, authorities seized approximately 10 million liters of diesel from the vessel Challenge Procyon. Investigations also extend to rail transport across San Luis Potosí, Nuevo Laredo, and Coahuila, involving hundreds of railcars and significant volumes of fuel.