Will Mexico’s Fuel Thief Victory Last?
The crackdown on thieves who siphon fuel from pipelines has reduced theft by 95%.
May 07, 2019 | 2 min read
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IRAPUATO, Mexico — One of the first things Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador did after taking office in December was to turn his attention to ending the widespread theft of fuel, the New York Times reports. Thieves regularly tapped into the nation’s gasoline and diesel pipelines, storage facilities and refineries to siphon off millions of gallons from state-run Pemex oil company. The crime took more than $3 billion from the federal government in 2018.
Late last year, the government launched efforts to halt fuel theft. Security minister Alfonso Durazo sent federal security troops to guard pipelines that had experienced frequent attacks, resulting in arrests. Investigators uncovered unauthorized taps along the pipeline system. “We kept finding things and finding things,” Durazo said.
The government also halted shipments through some pipelines, which triggered long gas lines and shortages. Now, less than four months later, López Obrador declared victory by noting fuel theft had been reduced by 95%. “We managed to defeat the fuel thieves,” he said.
However, many think the drop is only temporary, with thieves waiting until the government’s focus shifts to renew their actions. “It has stopped for now,” said Roberto González, a vicar in Irapuato, which had experienced rampant fuel theft. “But they’re waiting for the moment to start again.”
Fuel theft has long been a problem in Mexico, but in recent years, larger and more organized criminal enterprises have begun targeting fuel. From January to October 2018, thieves had more than 12,500 illegal taps on the nation’s pipelines. A month later, thieves siphoned off more than 3.4 million gallons daily from illegal taps.
But the president and his security minister said they would keep up the pressure on fuel thieves. The deployment isn’t going to end,” Durazo said. “It’s totally sustainable, and we are going to sustain it for however long it’s necessary.”
Late last year, the government launched efforts to halt fuel theft. Security minister Alfonso Durazo sent federal security troops to guard pipelines that had experienced frequent attacks, resulting in arrests. Investigators uncovered unauthorized taps along the pipeline system. “We kept finding things and finding things,” Durazo said.
The government also halted shipments through some pipelines, which triggered long gas lines and shortages. Now, less than four months later, López Obrador declared victory by noting fuel theft had been reduced by 95%. “We managed to defeat the fuel thieves,” he said.
However, many think the drop is only temporary, with thieves waiting until the government’s focus shifts to renew their actions. “It has stopped for now,” said Roberto González, a vicar in Irapuato, which had experienced rampant fuel theft. “But they’re waiting for the moment to start again.”
Fuel theft has long been a problem in Mexico, but in recent years, larger and more organized criminal enterprises have begun targeting fuel. From January to October 2018, thieves had more than 12,500 illegal taps on the nation’s pipelines. A month later, thieves siphoned off more than 3.4 million gallons daily from illegal taps.
But the president and his security minister said they would keep up the pressure on fuel thieves. The deployment isn’t going to end,” Durazo said. “It’s totally sustainable, and we are going to sustain it for however long it’s necessary.”
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