President Claudia Sheinbaum said the government's fight against fuel theft is producing concrete results and increasing sales for the state-owned oil company Pemex.
The claims come as the administration attempts to stabilize Mexico's energy sector and reduce the financial drain caused by illegal tapping of pipelines. Success in this area is critical for the fiscal health of Pemex, which remains one of the world's most indebted oil companies.
Speaking during a federal government press conference in Mexico City on May 15, 2026, Sheinbaum highlighted the impact of recent operations. "The fight against huachicol is already showing concrete results," Sheinbaum said [1]. She said that Pemex sales have recorded an important increase due to the reduction of illegal fuel [1].
However, other reports suggest the crackdown has not been sufficient to stop the bleeding. Data indicates that Pemex lost 23,491 million pesos to fuel theft in 2025 [3]. Some estimates place the overall losses from these activities at 1,200 million dollars [4].
Further contradictions appear regarding the volume of theft. While the president emphasized positive trends, other reports indicate that fuel theft actually rose to 19,600 barrels per day [3]. These figures suggest a gap between the administration's reported successes and the operational reality of the pipeline network.
Sheinbaum's comments were made in the context of discussing the overall achievements and challenges facing the state-owned entity [2]. The administration continues to deploy security operations to secure the infrastructure and recover lost revenue, a priority for the current federal strategy.
“"The fight against huachicol is already showing concrete results."”
The discrepancy between the president's claims of success and the reported losses of billions of pesos suggests a significant struggle to control the 'huachicol' black market. If fuel theft continues to rise despite government operations, the financial viability of Pemex remains at risk, potentially requiring further state subsidies or structural reforms to manage the debt.
