Federal prosecutor fired as doubts grow over Mexico’s ‘largest-ever’ fuel-trafficking bust
The September 17 announcement of the seizure of 59 million liters of stolen fuel was presented as a major blow against crime, but it turns out that there may not have been any stolen fuel or any crime. The post Federal prosecutor fired as doubts grow over Mexico’s ‘largest-ever’ fuel-trafficking bust appeared first on Mexico News Daily
Federal authorities announced on September 17 what they claimed was the largest single-site seizure of stolen fuel in Mexico's history. However, doubts quickly arose surrounding the case. The owner of the storage facility presented valid documentation proving the facility was operating lawfully. Federal prosecutor Juan Francisco Vera, leading the investigation, was subsequently fired by Security Minister Omar García Harfuch.
The Federal Attorney General's Office (FGR) began reevaluating the circumstances of the seizure, determining the fuel to be legally stored and reclassifying the case as an embargo pending further investigation. Opposition party officials accused the governing coalition of corruption for issuing permits to the storage facility owner.
Market sources revealed that major oil companies like ExxonMobil, Marathon, and Shell had stored fuel at the facility. The investigation remains ongoing, with President Claudia Sheinbaum confirming the FGR's probe would continue, though she did not specify that the case was no longer a seizure.
Written by urgent.news from Mexico News Daily's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
