Key Players and Their Roles
Omar García Harfuch, the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), announced another significant blow to gas theft, also known as “huachicol,” with the seizure of 1.5 million liters of hydrocarbons in Tabasco as part of the National Security Strategy.
Key Participants:
- SSPC: Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, responsible for coordinating security efforts.
- Defensa Nacional: National Defense Department, contributing military resources to security operations.
- Semar: Mexican Navy, providing naval support in security missions.
- Fiscalía General de la República (FGR): Mexican Attorney General’s Office, responsible for prosecution and law enforcement.
- Guardia Nacional: National Guard, a security force created to combat crime and violence.
- Pemex: Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company, responsible for hydrocarbon exploration and production.
Operation Details
On Thursday, SSPC officials, in collaboration with Defensa Nacional, Semar, FGR, and the SSPC of Tabasco, executed two search warrants in properties storing hydrocarbons illegally. The operation targeted delitos ambientales (environmental crimes) in two properties located in Comalcalco, Tabasco.
- One search warrant led to the seizure of 1,500 cubitanques containing 1.5 million liters of hydrocarbons in a property on the Comalcalco-Villahermosa road, Ranchería Oriente 3a Sección.
- Another warrant resulted in the seizure of a hydrocarbon processing machine and three crude oil reservoirs in another property within the same ranchería.
Context and Impact
Gas theft, or “huachicol,” has been a persistent problem in Mexico, with criminal organizations illegally tapping into pipelines to steal fuel. This issue not only results in significant financial losses for Pemex, Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company, but also poses environmental and safety risks to local communities.
In March, authorities made a substantial seizure in Tamaulipas, confiscating 10 million liters of diesel and firearms. This operation targeted a suspicious vessel in the Tampico port, which was found to be transporting illegal diesel instead of lubricant additives.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who is Omar García Harfuch? Omar García Harfuch is the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) in Mexico, responsible for coordinating security efforts across the country.
- What is “huachicol”? “Huachicol” refers to the illegal tapping of pipelines to steal fuel, primarily diesel and gasoline, for resale in the black market.
- Why is this operation significant? This operation demonstrates the Mexican government’s commitment to combating gas theft, which results in financial losses for Pemex and poses environmental and safety risks to local communities.
- What was seized during this operation? Authorities seized 1.5 million liters of hydrocarbons, 1,500 cubitanques, a hydrocarbon processing machine, and three crude oil reservoirs.
