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Police find cartel crypto farm hidden in Mexican mountains
The Independent • • world
Key Points:
- Mexican authorities uncovered a clandestine cryptocurrency mining farm in the Sierra Norte region of Puebla, suspected of laundering illicit funds for organized crime groups, marked by its high electricity consumption and mechanical noise.
- The operation included 300 GPUs, 80 medium-voltage terminals, and eight satellite antennae, reflecting increased sophistication and technical expertise likely backed by powerful drug cartels.
- Globally, illicit cryptocurrency transactions surged to an estimated $154 billion in 2025, driven largely by sanctions evasion and criminal activity, with Latin American cartels increasingly using crypto mining and transfers to launder money.
- Electricity theft is a key factor in such operations, as mining is energy-intensive and costly; Mexican investigators are probing whether the Puebla farm stole power from a nearby hydroelectric dam.
- Similar crypto mining raids have occurred worldwide, and experts predict crypto-related crime will rise with broader virtual currency adoption, even as law enforcement improves its capabilities to trace illicit transactions.
