Mexico's Fuel Smuggling Crisis | Los Angeles News

Mexico’s fuel smuggling crisis, known as huachicol fiscal, has exploded into a multi-billion-dollar operation that fuels cartels and corrupts institutions. What began as tax evasion—falsifying paperwork to smuggle U.S.-bought gasoline and diesel into Mexico under false labels—is now the second-biggest revenue stream for drug cartels after drugs, with estimates suggesting up to one-third of Mexico’s fuel supply is illicit. High-profile arrests, including former Baja California governor Ernesto Ruffo Appel, reveal deep ties to political elites and military officials. The operation thrives through official ports and crossings, turning legal trade channels into criminal pipelines. With U.S. Treasury warnings linking it to violence and corruption, authorities are racing to dismantle this entrenched web—but the roots run too deep for quick fixes. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/2781683095fc68dc Presented by The Plant Daddies — rare specimen trees, living art, and hand-carved limestone vessels and fountains for extraordinary spaces. Showrooms in Los Angeles and Irvine. Listeners of Los Angeles News Today receive 10% off with code LANEWS10. theplantdaddies.com/lanews