Mexican federal and state authorities have shut down a large clandestine cryptocurrency mining operation in the municipality of Tlaola in Puebla’s northern highlands after uncovering evidence of electricity theft linked to infrastructure at the Nuevo Necaxa hydroelectric dam.

The joint operation involved the Attorney General’s Office, the Navy and Puebla’s Public Security Secretariat. Teams discovered the facility following reports of unusual activity near the historic federal dam, which has supplied power to Mexico’s national grid for more than a century.

Seizure Details and Equipment Recovered

During the raid, officials confiscated approximately 300 specialized computing units, identified as high-performance graphics processing units, along with a pedestal transformer, around 80 medium-voltage terminals and eight operational satellite internet antennas. Many of the machines were still running at the time of the intervention.

Investigators determined that the installation had been irregularly connected to the power infrastructure associated with the Nuevo Necaxa complex. The scale of the setup, combined with the high electricity demand and noise generated by continuous mining activity, had drawn attention in the remote mountainous area.

Sánchez noted that authorities had been monitoring the region specifically because of its proximity to the dam and the presence of a large unauthorized power connection.

Focus of the Investigation

The primary offense under examination is the theft of electricity from the Federal Electricity Commission. Officials are also assessing whether the virtual assets produced at the site may have been used in money-laundering schemes. The specific cryptocurrencies being mined have not been identified.

No arrests were immediately reported. The seized property remains under official custody while forensic and financial inquiries continue into the operators, the volume of digital assets generated and any potential ties to illicit financing networks.

Regional Pattern and Expanding Probe

This is not an isolated case. Mexican authorities dismantled three other cryptocurrency mining operations in Puebla and the neighboring state of Tlaxcala during 2025. One earlier intervention in the Nuevo Necaxa area involved properties linked to the Mexican Electricians Union and resulted in the disconnection of illegal taps to the federal grid.

Investigators have now extended their search to surrounding municipalities and nearby states to determine whether additional similar facilities exist. The latest discovery fits a pattern of operators locating high-energy mining setups in secluded zones close to major hydroelectric infrastructure to reduce detection risks.

Broader Context of Energy Theft Linked to Mining

Cryptocurrency mining’s substantial power requirements have led to comparable electricity-theft cases in other countries. In Malaysia, the national utility company recorded losses of roughly 1.11 billion dollars associated with unauthorized mining between 2020 and August 2025. In the United States, authorities previously uncovered an unauthorized mining setup hidden beneath a school in Massachusetts.

In Mexico, the Federal Electricity Commission continues enforcement efforts against non-technical losses caused by illegal connections and meter tampering. The Tlaola operation forms part of coordinated action to protect critical public energy infrastructure from unauthorized commercial use.