Crypto mining electricity theft proposal carries up to 12 years

By Cartel Insider Wire Desk · Edited by Mica Treviño

Publimetro México · Nov 02, 2026 · 15:41 CT

What happened

A proposal introduced in Mexico City's Congress would set five- to 12-year prison terms for electricity theft powering cryptocurrency mining, with longer terms for aggravating circumstances. It still requires city and federal legislative action.

Huachicol eléctrico: proponen hasta 12 años de cárcel por robar la luz — Cientos de cables (diablitos) se observan colgados de los postes de luz eléctrica, los cuales proveen de energía a los puestos informales de la avenida Santa María La Ribera. La CFE recibe alrededor de 40 denuncias diarias relacionadas con 'diablitos' en la CDMX. Foto: Cuartoscuro (Moisés Pablo) · Image source: Publimetro México

Reporting and context

A proposal introduced in Mexico City's Congress would establish prison terms of five to 12 years for stealing electricity to run cryptocurrency mining operations, according to Publimetro México. The measure has not been approved and would require further action at both the city and federal levels.

Morena legislator Alberto Martínez Urincho proposed adding Article 368 Sextus to the Federal Penal Code. It would cover unauthorized use, sale, trafficking or alteration of electricity from national networks to power cryptocurrency mining and related computing infrastructure. The proposal includes fines of 1,000 to 3,000 times the daily UMA reference value, confiscation of equipment and application of relevant legal provisions to cryptocurrency obtained through those operations.

Penalties could increase by half for aggravating circumstances, including clandestine connections to medium- or high-voltage lines, substantial disruption of electricity supply or computing centers concealed from authorities. That could raise the maximum prison term to 18 years if the reform passes as proposed and an aggravating circumstance is established.

SSC no ha detenido a personas por instalar ‘diablitos’ pese a que persiste el problema en CDMX Cientos de cables (diablitos) se observan colgados de los postes de luz eléctrica, los cuales proveen de energía a los puestos informales de la avenida Santa María La Ribera. (Moisés Pablo Nava) · Image source: Publimetro México

Publimetro México reported that the legislative document cited 6,346 gigawatt-hours of nontechnical electricity losses between January and July 2024, with an estimated commercial value of 13.8 billion pesos. Those figures cover several forms of irregular electricity consumption, not cryptocurrency mining alone. Martínez Urincho argued that illegal connections can also overload distribution networks.

Cryptocurrency mining itself is not prohibited in Mexico, the article explained. Existing federal law already treats unauthorized use of electricity as theft; this proposal would create a specific provision for the computing infrastructure involved. The measure was referred to the city Congress's justice committee, chaired by Martínez Urincho. A favorable committee opinion and city plenary vote would precede submission to the federal Congress.

Source: Publimetro México.

Contextual English newsroom rewrite based on Publimetro México. Claims and allegations remain attributed to the publisher or officials it cites. Read the original report.