Mexican Authorities Found Crypto Farm with 300 GPUs and Suspect Electricity Theft

Published: September 11, 2026 – 11:52 UTC

Authorities in Mexico tracked down an illegal crypto mining farm with 300 GPUs.
Authorities are investigating possible money laundering.
The site was found near a hydroelectric power plant.

Federal and local law enforcement in Mexico uncovered an illegal cryptocurrency mining farm in the municipality of Tlaola in the state of Puebla, where mining was allegedly powered by the незаконного use of electricity from the hydroelectric infrastructure of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), Wired reports.

During a joint raid by Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, the Navy, and Puebla police, officers found about 300 graphics processing units (GPUs), a transformer, about 80 medium-voltage terminals, and eight satellite internet antennas.

At the same time, authorities are investigating not only possible electricity theft, but also whether the crypto assets obtained from mining could have been used to launder funds linked to illegal activity.

The Crypto Farm Operated Near a Hydroelectric Power Plant

The operation was carried out by Mexico’s Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR), the country’s Navy, and the Puebla State Secretariat of Public Security (SSP). The site is located in the Sierra Norte de Puebla, near the Necaxa dam, which is part of the region’s hydroelectric system.

Local law enforcement has been conducting operations in the area for several years to identify sites that may be linked to illegal electricity use. According to authorities, the farm’s location and its proximity to energy infrastructure were among the factors that drew law enforcement attention.

Vice Admiral and head of Puebla’s SSP Francisco Sanchez Gonzalez said authorities suspect there are other hidden mining farms in Tlaola.

“This activity consumes a lot of energy and creates a lot of noise, so these sites are sought out in remote and very isolated places. That caught our attention.”

At the site, law enforcement found infrastructure that was operational. The equipment included:

About 300 GPUs
A transformer
About 80 medium-voltage terminals
Eight satellite internet antennas

Cryptocurrency mining itself is not banned in Mexico. Therefore, the main focus of the investigation is to determine whether the farm used electricity illegally.

The scale of crypto mining’s energy consumption is significant: according to the Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, in 2023 the average global electricity consumption associated with bitcoin mining was about 120 TWh.

Authorities Probe Possible Money Laundering via Crypto Assets

At the same time, Puebla’s SSP does not rule out another line of inquiry. The agency said it is checking whether crypto assets obtained through the operation of the discovered infrastructure could have been used to make illicit funds appear legitimate.

“Authorities are analyzing whether virtual assets obtained through this infrastructure could have been used to give a lawful appearance to resources linked to illegal activity.”

This line of inquiry is tied to the broader use of cryptocurrencies by criminal organizations to move and launder funds. In particular, studies on the activities of Mexican drug cartels have described schemes in which proceeds from the illegal fentanyl trade were converted into crypto assets and then exchanged into yuan through networks of underground exchangers.

A separate issue remains the illegal consumption of electricity. According to the latest available data from CFE Distribución, in January–July 2024 electricity theft, meter tampering, and illegal connections were linked to consumption of 6,346 GWh. The commercial value of that volume of electricity was estimated at about 13.8 billion Mexican pesos ($813.64 million).

As a reminder, Thailand recently uncovered an illegal crypto mining network with annual turnover of more than $300 million, and Malaysia reported results from its crackdown on illegal crypto mining since 2022.

Сообщение Mexican Authorities Found Crypto Farm with 300 GPUs and Suspect Electricity Theft появились сначала на INCRYPTED.

Source: Incrypted