A tanker that sailed from Texas under the Singapore flag was seized by Mexican authorities in a joint operation against illicit hydrocarbon trafficking. The vessel was carrying 10 million liters of diesel and was taken into custody in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Mexican Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC). The operation took place in the municipality of Altamira, Tamaulipas, and was described by SSPC head Omar García Harfuch as a “blow to huachicol,” a colloquial term for hydrocarbon trafficking.
The vessel, identified as the Challenge Procyon, arrived at the port of Tampico on March 19 after departing Beaumont, Texas, three days earlier. The information was verified through records from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the specialized website MarineTraffic. Although the SSPC did not confirm that all the seized diesel was on board, it did report that the vessel was inspected and seized as part of the same operation.
During the inspection aboard the Challenge Procyon, authorities found handguns with loaded magazines, 84 cartridges of various calibers, and unspecified documentation. Despite the volume of the seizure and the magnitude of the operation, no arrests were reported, nor has the legal ownership of the vessel been publicly disclosed. The SSPC indicated that these actions are part of Mexico’s National Security Strategy.
The Challenge Procyon is a tanker measuring 181.05 meters in length and 32.3 meters in width, specifically designed for the transport of petroleum products, according to IMO records. It is flagged in Singapore and classified under IMO number 9527403. Although it was officially carrying “lubricating oil additives,” authorities decided to seize it upon arrival at the Mexican port.
Its origin from Beaumont, Texas, makes it a key player in the hydrocarbon trafficking route from the United States to Mexico. The ship’s arrival was the starting point for coordinating the onshore intervention, which led to the discovery of the diesel stored on the Altamira property. Inconsistencies between the reported cargo and the material found led to the immobilization.
Simultaneously, Mexican federal forces searched two properties in the municipality of Altamira. In one of them, located on Camino Antiguo a Medrano, they found 10 million liters of diesel distributed in 192 containers, along with 23 tractor-trailers, six single-trailer trucks, three pickup trucks, and computer equipment. The other property, on the Ricardo Flores Magón Ejido Bypass, contained handgun cartridges and various documents, according to authorities.
The sites searched were linked to a freight transport company, although authorities have not revealed the name or legal status of the company. According to the SSPC statement, these proceedings were carried out by the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar), the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), the National Guard, and the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), all Mexican agencies.
Authorities reiterated that the procedures were carried out “in compliance with the law and with respect for human rights” as part of a national offensive against fuel theft and trafficking, known as “huachicol.” The operation is part of the actions of the federal Security Cabinet and is based on inter-institutional intelligence and investigation work.
Source: infobae
