Mexican authorities have seized a suspected cryptocurrency mining operation in the mountains of Puebla, after a joint raid uncovered extensive hardware at a remote site.
Seizure of Mining Site
Federal prosecutors, the Navy and state security forces entered the Tlaola property in the Sierra Norte region and found a pedestal transformer, about 80 medium-voltage terminals, eight satellite internet antennas and nearly 300 specialized computing units running on the premises.
The equipment and the land were placed in government custody while investigators determine whether the crypto generated there was used to mask proceeds from illegal activity. No cartel has been publicly linked to the facility.
Officials have not announced any arrests related to the mining farm, and the federal attorney general’s office declined to comment further, citing the ongoing nature of the probe.
Cartels’ Growing Crypto Use
U.S. Treasury analysts note that both the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel employ digital assets to purchase precursor chemicals, launder earnings and move funds across borders, according to the 2026 National Money Laundering Risk Assessment.
A 2024 advisory from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network highlighted that Mexican transnational criminal groups increasingly buy fentanyl precursors and manufacturing equipment from China using bitcoin, ether, monero, tether and other virtual currencies.
Security analyst David Saucedo said the Tlaola operation would require both technical expertise and significant financing, adding, “Drug cartels appear to have reached a new level of sophistication.”
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Broader Enforcement Context
Investigators are also probing whether the mining farm drew power illegally from a nearby hydroelectric system, since cryptocurrency mining consumes large amounts of electricity for both operation and cooling.
The Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index, updated in January 2026, estimates marginal electricity costs for bitcoin production based on network usage, mining rewards and assumed price per kilowatt-hour.
The Tlaola site is the fourth suspected crypto farm uncovered in the area since early 2025; three earlier facilities were located near the same hydroelectric plant, prompting a regional sweep by authorities.
Global illicit cryptocurrency activity surged in 2025, with Chainalysis reporting that identified illicit addresses received at least $154 billion in crypto, a 162 % increase from the prior year. Sanctioned entities accounted for a 694 % rise in received funds.
U.S. regulators have stepped up scrutiny of cross-border money flows. In March, FinCEN expanded a geographic targeting order that requires certain money-services businesses along the southwestern border to file additional reports on suspicious transactions.
Mexican officials continue to assess the financial links between the generated cryptocurrency and any criminal enterprises.