Mexico Busts Massive Crypto Mining Farm Stealing Electricity from Hydro Dam
A massive cryptocurrency mining operation was recently dismantled by Mexican authorities in Tlaola, Puebla. The clandestine facility allegedly stole electricity from infrastructure connected to a federal hydroelectric complex, specifically the Nuevo Necaxa hydroelectric dam.
The operation contained around 300 specialized computers used for cryptocurrency mining and had been illegally connected to the dam's infrastructure. Investigators seized transformers, medium-voltage equipment, approximately 300 computing units, and working satellite internet antennas during the raid.
Authorities received information about suspicious activity near the dam before identifying the abnormal electricity connection. They are now investigating whether similar mining farms are operating elsewhere in the region.
The facility's enormous electricity consumption and noise generated by crypto mining operations often push their operators toward isolated areas, making them difficult to detect. The authorities have not yet established exactly what cryptocurrencies were being mined, but there is a possibility that the mining farm could be connected to money laundering.