Guanajuato: The City of Irapuato Places First In Fuel Theft

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat 

From December 1, 2018 to November 25, 2021, 500 illegal fuel taps have been detected in Pemex pipelines

2.5 million liters of stolen hydrocarbon have been seized.

From December 1, 2018 to November 25, 2021, Irapuato was placed as the municipality with the most clandestine intakes of hydrocarbon detected throughout the state, in that period 500 of the 2,278 illegal fuel taps were located in Mexican Petroleum pipelines and that is where gasoline theft is presumed to continue in the entity.

The Mexican Army and the National Guard guard the pipelines.

This period corresponds almost to the duration of the national strategy against hydrocarbon theft, initiated on December 23, 2018 which aimed to reduce the so-called fuel theft in states such as Guanajuato, Hidalgo, State of Mexico and Puebla, mainly.

Since the launch of this national strategy against hydrocarbon theft, although the incidence of this crime has decreased in Irapuato, it continues to position itself as the municipality with the most illegal fuel taps of Pemex pipelines.

Just on November 26, the head of the Ministry of National Defense, Luis Crescencio Sandoval, reported during his visit to Guanajuato that 21% of the clandestine taps that have been detected throughout the state had been located in Irapuato, since the launch of the national strategy against hydrocarbon theft.

Since December 2018, the strategy against hydrocarbon theft began in Guanajuato.

Luis Crescencio Sandoval himself had reported on July 15, 2020, when he also made a visit to the state together with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to carry out a security work table with Governor Diego Sinhue Rodríguez Vallejo, that Irapuato, at that time, was also first place in fuel theft, with 324 clandestine fuel taps detected; that is, a year and four months after that information offered, 176 new clandestine fuel taps were located in the municipality.

Hydrocarbon theft is not new in the municipality, during 2016, 2017 and 2018, Irapuato became the first national place in the cities with the most clandestine fuel taps, with 437, 512 and 449 drillings being located, according to data from Petróleos Mexicanos.

Irapuato, the municipality where there has been the most hydrocarbon thefts.

Eleven areas with the most robberies

Two important pipelines pass through Irapuato, such as Salamanca-León and Salamanca-Guadalajara, but it is in their run through the municipality that the thefts have occurred in them.

The report of the Ministry of National Defense, and to which the Mexican Editorial Organization, indicates that there are 11 areas with the highest hydrocarbon theft through clandestine seizures of the two pipelines that pass through Irapuato.

These are the communities of Malvas, Ejido Loma Bonita, Carrizal Grande, El Copal, Alfredo V. Bonfil, Lo de Juárez, Purísima del Progreso, La Calera, Guadalupe Villa de Cárdenas, Buenos Aires and San Antonio Texas.

Once perforated fuel ducts have been detected, Pemex is notified for repair.

The highest number of robberies have been perpetrated in the communities of Carrizal Grande, El Copal, Guadalupe Villa Cárdenas and San Antonio Texas, according to the report of the Ministry of National Defense.

Faced with this, the Secretary of Citizen Security of Irapuato, Miguel Ángel Simental Rodríguez, reported that hydrocarbon theft is a matter that the Federal Government is directly addressing.

"Within the powers and responsibilities of the Municipal Police, more action is being done in what is called 911, as far as the clandestine seizures, the National Guard and Mexican Army are the ones who walk through the clearings and dirt roads or where the pipelines go, they are the ones who have been tasked with this affair," he explained and pointed out that if a report arrives at 911, it is immediately channeled to be attended by the Federal Government, with whom there is coordination and even, if municipal support were requested, it would be offered.

Miguel Ángel Simental commented that every week there is a meeting between the three orders of government to share information, where it has been explained that the Federal Government is the one who brings the fight to hydrocarbon theft, because detections of clandestine fuel taps are attributable to them.

Hydrocarbon theft is in 18 municipalities

Luis Crescencio Sandoval presented during his visit to Irapuato the graph indicating that 2,278 clandestine fuel taps have been detected in the state, located in the period from December 1, 2018 to November 25, 2021.

Apart from Irapuato, which is at the forefront with 500 clandestine fuel taps, is the city of Silao, with 283 and thus places second in this crime; Salamanca has 263 pipeline intakes to steal hydrocarbon; Apaseo el Alto concentrates 261, including a fuel intake found in Calichar; Villagrán, considered at the time the epicenter of huachicol, has 199 clandestine fuel taps detected.

León, Celaya, Guanajuato, Cortazar Pénjamo, Valle de Santiago, Abasolo, Uriangato, Yuriria, Apaseo el Grande, Pueblo Nuevo, Moroleón and San José Iturbide are the other municipalities where clandestine hydrocarbon ducts have been found.

During this period, 311 vehicles in Guanajuato have been seized where hydrocarbon was stolen, two million 509,495 liters of fuel have been recovered, 60 properties have been secured and 76 people have been placed at the disposal of a judge for this illicit activity.

Clandestine fuel ducts Dec. 2018-Nov.2021

Municipality Total

Irapuato 500

Silao 283

Salamanca 263

Apaseo El Alto (including a fuel tap in Calichar) 261

Villagrán 199

Leon 172

Guanajuato 115

Celaya 113

Cortazar (Including a fuel tap in Merino) 96

Penjamo 88

Santiago Valley 75

Abasolo 33

Uriangato 30

Yuriria 20

Apaseo El Grande 18

Pueblo Nuevo 4

Moroleon 6

San José Iturbide 2

Total 2278

Source: Sedena

El Sol de Irapuato