A senior Mexican navy officer was detained Tuesday in connection with a massive fuel seizure earlier this year, federal authorities and news reports said.
Vice Adm. Manuel Roberto Farías Laguna, a relative of a former navy secretary, was arrested along with a number of business leaders and government officials as part of an investigation that began in March, a federal agent told The Associated Press. The agent spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment.
The probe stems from the interception in March of a ship at the Gulf port of Tampico that was found to be carrying about 10 million liters (2.6 million gallons) of fuel. Mexican officials described that seizure as among the largest in recent years and said it prompted a wider inquiry into illicit fuel operations known in the country as huachicol.
Authorities have not publicly detailed the specific charges against Farías Laguna or the other detainees. The arrests mark the highest-ranking detention of a navy officer since President Claudia Sheinbaum launched an intensified campaign against fuel theft after taking office. The president has made cracking down on huachicol a priority, citing its toll on the state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos, or Pemex.
Fuel theft has been a persistent problem for Pemex and the Mexican government. Officials estimate that huachicol has cost the company roughly $3.8 billion over the past five years, with thieves tapping pipelines, diverting shipments and exploiting weaknesses in supply chains.
Mexican authorities have increasingly linked fuel theft to organized crime, and U.S. officials have warned that drug cartels have expanded their involvement in illicit fuel markets. The March seizure at Tampico intensified scrutiny of how stolen fuel is moved, stored and sold, and prompted coordination among federal investigators, customs officials and the navy.
Detentions in the ongoing probe have included business figures and municipal or regional government employees, according to the law enforcement account shared with The Associated Press. Officials said the investigation remains active and did not provide a timetable for prosecutions or additional arrests.
The case underscores the challenges facing Mexico as it seeks to secure energy infrastructure and curb the corrupt networks that facilitate large-scale theft. Past operations have revealed complex schemes that move product from pipelines to clandestine shipments and through legitimate-looking supply chains, complicating enforcement and accountability efforts.
The Associated Press reported the detentions on Sept. 6, 2025. Mexican authorities have not released a full public statement naming all those detained or detailing evidence against them. Legal proceedings and formal charges, if any, are expected to clarify the roles of the individuals arrested and the scope of the alleged criminal enterprise.