Questions are growing over Mexico's announcement of a record seizure of 59 million liters of suspected smuggled fuel after authorities acknowledged they are still determining ownership, legality and traceability of the hydrocarbons, and despite the absence of any arrests.
Federal and state authorities announced on September 17 that they had secured 59 million liters of "presumed hydrocarbons" at a fuel storage and distribution terminal in La Fragua, Guanajuato. State Security Secretary Juan Mauro González Martínez described it as "59 million liters of presumed hydrocarbons secured in a single operation," making it the largest fuel seizure reported in recent years.
59 millones de litros de presunto hidrocarburo asegurados en una sola intervención. Esa es la dimensión de la operación realizada en San José Iturbide como resultado de trabajos de investigación y coordinación entre autoridades federales y estatales.
— Juan Mauro González Martínez (@MauroGonzalezMa) September 17, 2026
Durante el cateo, autorizado… pic.twitter.com/UqgzKiLHBa
The announcement surpassed previous high-profile cases, including the seizure of 15 million liters in Coahuila in 2025 and 10 million liters in Tamaulipas linked to the tanker Challenge Procyon, investigations that became central to broader fuel-smuggling probes.
The operation focused on a storage facility operated by Grupo Simsa in San José Iturbide. The company said it does not own the fuel stored at the site but provides storage services for third parties, including firms licensed by Mexico's energy authorities.
In a public statement, Grupo Simsa said it merely "receives and stores petroleum products that are the property of user companies" and that documentation proving ownership and legal origin belongs to those clients. The company said it holds all required permits and noted that clients include Pemex and other major energy firms.
Industry sources told El País that the facility's ten tanks can hold up to 100 million liters and that the final volume deemed illegal could be significantly lower than the 59 million liters initially reported, depending on whether the owners can document the fuel's origin and legal status.
Mexico's Attorney General's Office said it is gathering information from companies linked to the case and conducting document reviews and interviews with executives "to verify the ownership, operation and financial and fiscal traceability of all the hydrocarbons located." Authorities have not announced arrests.
The investigation began in July after a driver allegedly unloading 33,000 liters of diesel in Guanajuato was unable to document the fuel's origin. That inquiry led to searches at a gas station, an LP gas facility and eventually the Grupo Simsa terminal.
According to reports cited by El País, the operation may have occurred on September 4 rather than September 17, and the facility reportedly resumed normal operations days later. The case has become a centerpiece of President Claudia Sheinbaum's campaign against fuel theft and smuggling, which the government has identified as a priority.
In 2025, Mexican authorities reported seizing 61 million liters of hydrocarbons nationwide, only slightly more than the volume announced in the Guanajuato operation alone.
