Harfuch rules out links between those arrested for fuel theft and the CJNG (CJNG) or the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.

MEXICO CITY (apro).- The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), Omar García Harfuch, ruled out that the six people arrested as members of the fuel theft network recently dismantled in the central region of the country have ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) or the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.

"They are not related to any of the organizations mentioned, nor to the Jalisco Cartel or the Santa Rosa Cartel. We do not have any links with these organizations. We consider them a criminal organization specifically dedicated to this crime," he told reporters.

At a press conference this afternoon to unveil the mega-operations against fuel theft, the former Mexico City police chief acknowledged that other organizations dedicated to hydrocarbon theft exist in the country, but emphasized that the recently dismantled organization is one of the most powerful.

"Yes, there are others, of course, they are part of the investigations, but the strongest, or one of the strongest, was definitely this one," he said.

According to the official, the most important area of ​​operation for those involved in this crime is the center of the country, "which is precisely where this criminal network was dismantled, but of course, there are others located in the center of the country."

–With the same strength?

–There are some that are strong, but this one is definitely one of the strongest.

“They are not local groups”: Gertz

At the conference, the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR), Alejandro Gertz Manero, was questioned about whether these fuel theft groups are local, that is, from the states where the operations took place.

"Due to their territorial coverage, they can't be considered local; they cover Mexico City, the State of Mexico, and Querétaro. If you look at the operating lines, they are clearly in line with Pemex's pipelines," he acknowledged.

He added that authorities are attacking this problem "in all parts of the country" and that they are identified as organized crime: "That's why we obtained the arrest warrants for organized crime."

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