Mexican authorities conducted a raid in Tlaola, Sierra Norte, where they seized approximately 300 crypto mining rigs. The operation was carried out by federal prosecutors, the Navy, and Puebla state police. The site was illegally drawing power from the Nuevo Necaxa hydroelectric dam complex.
In addition to the mining hardware, officers confiscated transformers, medium-voltage terminals, and satellite internet antennas. Reports from El País and Mexico News Daily indicate that the seized machines were GPUs, suggesting the mining of coins other than Bitcoin.
State security minister Francisco Sánchez stated that the operation was part of a larger network exploiting hydroelectric infrastructure in Sierra Norte and neighboring states. While cryptocurrency mining is legal in Mexico, the operators face charges of electricity theft.
Forensic accountants are currently investigating the funding source of the hardware and whether the produced assets were used for money laundering. The Federal Electricity Commission is assisting in the investigation.
Between January and July 2024, the Federal Electricity Commission recorded non-technical losses from theft and illegal connections totaling 6,346 gigawatt hours, valued at approximately MXN 13.8 billion ($817 million).
This follows other enforcement actions in the region, including the dismantling of three mining operations in Puebla and Tlaxcala in 2025, and a previous raid on a farm near the same dam linked to the electrical workers' union.
