Mexicali, Baja California /
The Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) and the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) began a series of joint operations in the border city of Mexicali, Baja California, in early September to combat the sale of stolen hydrocarbons, also known as gaschicoleo.
This effort, supported by the National Guard, resulted in the seizure of five gas stations that were operating illegally.
Authorities arrived by surprise at establishments located in various neighborhoods to request documents that supported the receipt of the person distributing or delivering the fuel, which led them to discover that they did not have the necessary requirements in these businesses, known as ‘gaseritas’.
This type of business is common in the northern city, as well as throughout Baja California, since sometimes people refill 15-kilo gas mines and not 45-kilo tanks, as in other parts of the country.
Investigations by the authorities revealed the existence of a network dedicated to the distribution of stolen LP gas through front companies, operating under trade names such as Gómez Gas and Xolo Gas.
According to local residents, these companies are often closed down, but they frequently reopen.
“This is the second or third time they have closed them down. It’s not that interesting anymore,” said Fernando, a regular customer in the area.
Around 50 similar gas stations operate in Mexicali, offering fuel at prices considerably lower than those on the market, raising suspicions about their origin.
“Not long ago, I think it’s been about a year or so,” said Carmelo Benítez, a local vendor, referring to the proliferation of these gas stations.
These companies do not have basic legal requirements in sight, such as a RFC or visible tax address, which complicates the task of tracking them. Gómez Gas, for example, only has a presence on a social network, where it offers a cell phone number and a generic email as means of contact.
Mexicali Mayor Norma Bustamante said that local authorities have been aware of the problem for two years, but their main responsibility is to ensure that these gas stations do not put the population at risk.
“We forced many gas companies, the small ones you mentioned, to regularize their operations. It was not simple or easy. Some did not want to, but the vast majority did,” said the mayor.
The fate of the stolen gas remains uncertain. Authorities are still investigating whether the crime is linked to organised crime or whether any formal company is involved in its distribution.
“Hey, did you know they were selling stolen fuel? No, I didn’t know that. Well, business is business, right? But if you have to do it, whatever you have to do, it’s within the law, you know,” said Damián, a car washer who lives next to one of the closed gas stations to which the FGR placed a seal warning of the illegal sale of hydrocarbons.
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