Cartels' Crypto Empire: Mexico's Drug Lords Turn to Hidden Mining Farms

Mexico's drug cartels are increasingly using cryptocurrency to launder money and buy supplies, and now they've been found running their own mining operations. A suspected crypto farm was recently seized in Puebla, where investigators are examining whether virtual assets generated at the site were used to disguise illicit activity.

The operation in Tlaola, in Puebla's Sierra Norte region, was carried out jointly by Mexico's federal attorney general's office, the Navy and state security authorities. They found a pedestal transformer, about 80 medium-voltage terminals, eight satellite internet antennas and nearly 300 specialized computing units operating at the property.

David Saucedo, a Mexico-based security analyst, said that an operation of this type would require technical expertise and substantial financial backing, suggesting that drug cartels have reached a new level of sophistication. The facility was illegally drawing electricity from infrastructure connected to a nearby hydroelectric system, and authorities are examining whether the Tlaola facility was used to generate cryptocurrency itself.