Mexico seizes 300 GPU mining rigs tapping federal hydroelectric dam
In brief
- Mexican prosecutors and Navy seized 300 GPU mining rigs from Puebla property illegally drawing hydroelectric dam power.
- Forensic accountants trace hardware funding sources; electricity theft charges being prepared against operators.
- Operation targets broader network exploiting Sierra Norte hydroelectric infrastructure across multiple Mexican states.
Electricity theft and money laundering inquiry
While mining is legal in Mexico, prosecutors are preparing a charge of electricity theft against the operators. Forensic accountants are tracing who funded the mining hardware, according to local media reports. The state government is also examining whether assets produced at the site were used to launder proceeds of crime. Money laundering has not been ruled out as a potential use for the operation.
Mexico's Federal Electricity Commission is participating in the investigation. The utility reported non-technical losses from theft, meter tampering, and illegal connections at 6,346 gigawatt hours between January and July 2024, valued at approximately 13.8 billion pesos or $817 million.
Part of a wider network
State security minister Francisco Sánchez told reporters that mining operations seek isolated locations because the activity consumes significant energy and generates noise. The site was described as part of a network exploiting Sierra Norte's hydroelectric infrastructure, with similar activity occurring in neighboring states.
Investigators tracked reports of illegal mining in the region because of its proximity to the Nuevo Necaxa dam. Three other mining operations were dismantled across Puebla and neighboring Tlaxcala in 2025. A mining farm found near the same dam last year was allegedly run out of properties belonging to the electrical workers' union.
The seizure reflects a global pattern of law enforcement cracking down on illegal mining. Last year, Malaysian authorities seized more than 75,000 rigs over power theft its utility valued at $1.1 billion. Brazilian police also shut down an illegal mining operation in Rio de Janeiro.
