National Guard fuel heist Guanajuato: Eleven officers arrested after local police caught them siphoning fuel from a Pemex pipeline into a tanker truck in Apaseo el Alto, Guanajuato.
Mexico’s National Guard continues to prove that they are the most corrupt law enforcement in Mexico. Eleven National Guard officers were arrested late Saturday after municipal police discovered them siphoning fuel from a Pemex pipeline into a military tanker truck.
Around midnight, local authorities responded to a 911 tip and found several guardsmen standing watch by an illicit tap on the pipeline. The officers were armed with Army-issued weapons and arrived in three official military vehicles. One guardsman occupied the tanker’s driver’s seat as fuel pumped directly from the pipeline.
When questioned, the soldier in the truck claimed he was providing security for a legitimate fuel delivery. He then started the engine and attempted to drive off, prompting police to block the tanker. The operation yielded three officers in uniform, two in civilian clothes, and eight enlisted men in custody. An unspecified number of troops fled before they could be apprehended.
Authorities impounded the tanker, two pickup trucks, and all military vehicles on site. The 11 suspects, along with their weapons, are now held by the Federal Attorney General’s Office pending formal charges. Media reports indicate the troops came from multiple battalions, though exact unit details remain under investigation.
The Defence Ministry has confirmed the authenticity of the military vehicles and weapons and provided officials with the names of the detained guardsmen. The public credibly entrusted with fighting crime now faces scrutiny, as this incident marks a rare case of alleged systemic misconduct within the force.
Fuel theft—known in Mexico as huachicoleo—has surged over the past decade, costing Pemex roughly US $900,000 per day, according to company estimates. PetroIntelligence data show that smuggling and related tax evasion drained about US $24 million daily from the national treasury last year.
Guanajuato ranks among the states hardest hit by fuel theft. In 2017 alone, authorities documented more than 1,600 illegal pipeline taps—activities often linked to the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, which has entrenched itself in the region’s illicit fuel market.
Local and federal prosecutors have opened a formal investigation into the officers’ conduct. The case raises urgent questions about oversight and discipline within the National Guard, an institution created in 2019 to bolster public security under President López Obrador’s administration.
As inquiries proceed, residents of Apaseo el Alto and the state of Guanajuato await transparency on how such a large-scale theft could occur under military supervision. The outcome may shape broader reforms aimed at restoring trust in Mexico’s security forces.
