Mexican authorities raid hidden crypto mine in Puebla, seizing 300 GPUs
Raid uncovers hidden crypto mine in remote Puebla
Mexican authorities raided a hidden cryptocurrency mining operation in Tlaola, a remote mountain community in the state of Puebla, Reuters reported on Saturday.
Federal prosecutors, the Mexican navy, and state security officers carried out the raid, according to a Sept. 6 statement from Puebla's government. Inside, they found about 300 GPUs (graphics processing units, the computer chips used in mining) and other equipment.
Investigators are looking into whether the crypto mined at the site was used to launder money, meaning to hide the origins of illegal funds, and whether the operation stole electricity.
Key facts from the raid
- The haul included about 300 GPUs, a transformer, roughly 80 medium-voltage terminals, and eight satellite internet antennas.
- This was the fourth crypto farm (a site full of mining machines) found in the area since early 2025, according to Reuters.
- Three similar mining sites were discovered nearby last year.
- Local authorities are working with neighboring states to investigate other possible operations.
What Puebla's government says
In its Sept. 6 statement, Puebla's government said the property in Tlaola was seized. Mexico said investigators are examining whether the cryptocurrency mined there was used to hide proceeds from illicit activity.
What Reuters reports
Reuters reported that the site sits near a local hydroelectric dam and that prosecutors are investigating whether the operation was siphoning power from it.
Security analyst David Saucedo told Reuters: "Drug cartels appear to have reached a new level of sophistication," pointing to the expertise and financing needed to run such a hidden site. Mexico's federal attorney's office declined to comment because the investigation is ongoing.
Facts backed by the statements
The raid took place and the listed equipment was seized, according to Puebla's government and Reuters. Authorities are investigating possible power theft and money laundering, but no charges or official findings have been announced in the supplied material.
Open questions in the case
It is not yet clear whether the operators stole electricity from the dam or whether the mining operation helped hide money from other crimes. Earlier mining-related laundering cases do not establish how the Puebla operation handled its funds, and Mexico's federal attorney's office has not commented.
Why the raid matters
Crypto mining can appeal to criminals because newly created coins can have a clean history. A 2019 Elliptic compliance report, previously covered by The Block, said criminals can buy mining equipment with illegal money to obtain newly created, "clean" cryptocurrency.
A 2023 Chainalysis study, also covered by The Block, examined suspected money laundering through mining pools, which are services that combine computing power from many miners. Researchers found exchange deposit addresses that received both funds linked to ransomware or scams and mining income.
"Cryptocurrency mining is a crucial part of our industry, but it also holds special appeal to bad actors, as it provides a means to acquire money with a totally clean on-chain original source," Chainalysis wrote in the report.
In a separate case, the U.S. Department of the Treasury in May sanctioned a network allegedly run by Armando de Jesus Ojeda Aviles that collected drug sale proceeds in the U.S., converted the cash to crypto, and sent it to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. Chainalysis estimated that flagged illicit addresses received at least $154 billion in 2025, though illicit activity stayed below 1% of the total transaction volume the firm tracked. Chainalysis says those totals generally exclude traditional payments to drug traffickers unless their criminal origin is established through other information.
Next steps in the investigation
Local authorities are working with neighboring states to investigate other possible mining operations, according to Reuters. The federal investigation is ongoing.