U.S. Senate proposes legislation to curb Mexican cartel fuel theft

U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D‑NV) and John Cornyn (R‑TX) introduced the Stop Fueling Cartel Violence Act, a bill that would require the Department of Defense to report to Congress on actions taken against fuel theft by Mexican cartels. The legislation cites fuel theft as the largest non‑drug illicit revenue source for Mexico‑based cartels, with Pemex estimating nearly one billion liters stolen in 2024.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on two Mexican nationals and nine entities alleged to be part of a cross‑border fuel‑smuggling scheme tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The sanctions target a network that taps pipelines, hijacks trucks and uses shell companies to evade taxes, generating millions of dollars for the cartel and costing Mexico billions in lost revenue.