# Illegal cryptocurrency mining in Puebla, Mexico

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/illegal-cryptocurrency-mining-in-puebla-mexico
> Updated: 2026-09-12T11:24:55.000Z. Sources: 30. Developments: 2.

Mexican authorities, including the Navy, the Attorney General's Office, and Puebla state police, dismantled a large-scale clandestine cryptocurrency mining operation in the Sierra Norte mountains near the Tlaola municipality. The facility was identified following reports of unusual mechanical noise and an electrical load that exceeded local community needs.

Updated inventories from the Secretariat of Public Security and Citizen Protection have significantly increased the reported scale of the seizure. While initial estimates suggested 300 graphics processing units (GPUs), officials have now confirmed the seizure of 1,032 specialized computing devices. Additional equipment seized includes 95 switches, five transformers, three satellite antennas, and one microwave antenna.

The Federal Electricity Commission has filed a complaint regarding suspected electricity theft, as investigators believe the site was illegally drawing power from the Nuevo Necaxa hydroelectric system. Authorities are investigating whether the operation is linked to organized crime groups, such as drug cartels, and used for laundering illicit proceeds through digital assets.

Puebla’s Public Security Secretary, Francisco Sánchez González, has called for an investigation into potential negligence or complicity by local municipal authorities in Tlaola. This incident marks the fourth such discovery near local hydroelectric infrastructure since early 2025, suggesting a recurring pattern of sophisticated criminal activity in the region.

## Claims

- Authorities seized 300 GPUs, 80 medium-voltage terminals, and eight satellite antennas from a suspected crypto mining site in Tlaola, Puebla. (disputed by 5 sources)
- A subsequent inventory by the Mexican Navy revealed a total of 1,032 pieces of equipment at the site. (disputed by 2 sources)
- The operation is being investigated for suspected electricity theft from a nearby hydroelectric dam. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- This is the fourth clandestine cryptocurrency mining farm discovered in the Puebla region since early 2025. (corroborated by 5 sources)
- Security analyst David Saucedo stated the operation indicates drug cartels have reached a new level of technical sophistication. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Illicit cryptocurrency transactions worldwide exceeded $154 billion in 2025. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Puebla Public Security Secretary Francisco Sánchez González called for an investigation into potential negligence by municipal authorities in Tlaola. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-12: Puebla crypto mining site uncovered in suspected cartel laundering operation

Mexican authorities seized over 1,000 pieces of crypto-mining equipment in a suspected cartel-linked operation in Puebla, investigating potential money laundering and electricity theft from a hydroelectric dam.

21 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/mexican-cartels-suspected-of-using-hidden-crypto-farm-in-puebla

### 2026-09-06: Puebla authorities dismantle massive illegal crypto mining farm

Authorities in Puebla, Mexico, dismantled a large clandestine cryptocurrency mining farm in Tlaola, seizing 300 computers and investigating illegal electricity theft and potential money laundering.

12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/tlaola-puebla-authorities-dismantle-clandestine-cryptocurrency-mining-farm

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Cite as: Illegal cryptocurrency mining in Puebla, Mexico. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/illegal-cryptocurrency-mining-in-puebla-mexico