Mexico Targets Illegal Crypto Mines Fueling Electricity Theft

Mexico has stepped up its efforts to find and shut down illegal cryptocurrency mining operations, which are often linked to large-scale electricity theft. Authorities in Puebla have dismantled one such operation that siphoned off electricity from the Nuevo Necaxa dam using 300 computers.

The operation was discovered in a rural area of northern Puebla, and officials suspect it may have helped legitimize and launder profits from other illicit activities.

Puebla's Public Security Secretariat has vowed to expand its search for similar sites across neighboring states. The agency's head, Francisco Sánchez, noted that such operations often seek out isolated locations due to the high energy consumption and noise generated by the computers.