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Point of Focus
- Mexican authorities seized 300 GPUs from a clandestine crypto mining farm.
- Investigators are examining if the operation stole electricity from nearby infrastructure.
- Chainalysis estimates illicit crypto addresses received $154 billion in 2025.
Mexican authorities have uncovered a clandestine cryptocurrency mining operation in the mountains of Puebla State, seizing hundreds of graphics processors as investigators examine possible links between illegal mining, electricity theft and organized crime.
The facility was discovered near Tlaola in Puebla’s Sierra Norte region, close to the Presa de Necaxa hydroelectric complex.
According to Reuters, federal authorities, the Mexican Navy and state police seized around 300 graphics processing units (GPUs), 80 medium-voltage terminations, a transformer and eight satellite antennas.
Investigators are examining whether the operation illegally tapped electricity infrastructure connected to the nearby hydroelectric facility. Electricity represents one of the largest operating costs for cryptocurrency miners, meaning stolen power could significantly increase the profitability of a clandestine operation.
Cartels explore crypto mining
The discoveries are raising concerns that Mexican organized crime groups are expanding their use of cryptocurrency beyond transfers and into mining infrastructure.
Security analyst David Saucedo said that operating such facilities requires technical expertise, capital and protection, potentially pointing to the involvement of sophisticated criminal organizations.
Stolen Power and Crypto Mining Emerge as New Tools for Latin American Cartels
Reuters reported that Mexican authorities uncovered a suspected illicit crypto mining operation in the mountainous Tlaola area of Puebla state, seizing 300 GPUs, 80 medium-voltage terminals and eight… pic.twitter.com/V29vDCjFkG
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) September 13, 2026
The Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and armed groups linked to it have a significant presence in Puebla.
However, authorities have not publicly identified a cartel as the operator of the Tlaola facility, and Mexico’s federal prosecutor’s office has declined to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Mexican cybersecurity firm SILIKN has estimated that the use of cryptocurrency mining to launder illicit proceeds increased by at least 56% in Mexico last year. The firm has linked groups including the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG to cryptocurrency mining activities.
Remote Puebla region hosts multiple mining sites
The geography surrounding Tlaola offers potential advantages for clandestine operations.
The latest facility was located roughly two kilometers from the nearest village, while residents told Reuters its machinery and cooling equipment could be heard from about one kilometer away.
Three other suspected crypto mining facilities have been discovered around the same hydroelectric area since 2025.
Authorities are now working with neighboring Mexican States to determine whether additional mining operations have been established in remote areas, as investigators examine how cryptocurrency infrastructure is being incorporated into organized crime financing and money-laundering networks.
Illicit crypto transactions hit $154 billion
The discovery comes as cryptocurrency increasingly features in global financial crime.
Blockchain analytics company Chainalysis estimated that addresses associated with illicit activity received $154 billion in cryptocurrency in 2025, up from $59 billion in 2024.
Much of that increase was associated with sanctions evasion, although the company has also documented growing cryptocurrency use by criminal organizations in Latin America.
Following the Mexican case, Chainalysis said that criminal groups can seek mining locations where electricity is inexpensive or where they can exercise enough control to steal power with limited consequences.
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