Mexico investigates 59 million liters of fuel seized in Guanajuato

Reporting and context

Mexico's federal government says the investigation into the seizure of 59 million liters of fuel at Grupo Simsa facilities in Guanajuato has been taken over by the Federal Prosecutor's Office unit specializing in fuel theft. The case was transferred to the FEMDO organized-crime division, which President Claudia Sheinbaum said is conducting a broader investigation into fuel-related offenses. She said the inquiry remains open after Grupo Simsa argued that the seized material was not illegal.

According to El Financiero, Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said the operation took place two weeks before the Guanajuato government announced it. He said the timing, the two-week delay in reporting the operation and the failure to verify all the information were among the irregularities identified. Juan Francisco Vera, the FGR delegate in Guanajuato, was dismissed by Attorney General Ernestina Godoy in connection with those irregularities.

García Harfuch said federal prosecutors are reviewing documentation submitted by the companies to determine whether there were problems with the fuel seizure. He said he did not know whether Guanajuato Attorney General Gerardo Vázquez or state Security Secretary Juan Mauro González were under investigation. El Financiero reported that Sheinbaum said investigators were also tracking tanker-truck movements and that some vehicles entering the site may not have had complete documentation.

The operation was authorized by a federal judge in Guanajuato, and federal prosecutors searched the facilities with state authorities. Sheinbaum said the investigation could lead to further arrests, but no such arrests were announced in the source report.

Source: El Financiero