Mexican Cartels Leverage Crypto Mining for Money Laundering Operations

Deep in the mountains of central Mexico, authorities have uncovered a clandestine crypto mining operation that's part of a larger trend of organized crime groups moving into digital assets. In the Sierra Norte region of Puebla state, near the small town of Tlaola, police found hundreds of specialized processors running around the clock.

The raid netted 300 graphics processing units, 80 medium-voltage terminals, and eight satellite antennas, all set up to mine cryptocurrencies. Investigators are examining whether the operation stole power from a nearby hydroelectric dam, which would significantly reduce their costs.

This is the fourth illicit crypto mining site discovered in the area since early last year, with three earlier operations found near the same dam in northern Puebla. The discovery adds to a growing pattern of organized crime groups using digital assets for money laundering.