Police discovered a clandestine cryptocurrency farm in the lush mountains of Central Mexico, near a sparsely traveled gravel road in the Sierra Norte region of Puebla state. The operation was first detected by the loud mechanical whirring of mining equipment and the unusually high electricity consumption needed to power and cool hundreds of specialized computing units.
The site housed 300 graphics processing units, 80 medium‑voltage terminals and eight satellite antennas, all configured to compete against millions of other machines in solving cryptographic puzzles to create new coins. While modest by international standards, it is the fourth such farm uncovered in the area since early last year.
“Drug cartels appear to have reached a new level of sophistication,” said Mexico‑based security analyst David Saucedo. He added that setting up a mining operation would require technical expertise and backing from a well‑financed group, such as one of Mexico’s most powerful cartels. Mexico’s federal attorney’s office declined to comment, citing an active investigation.
Chainalysis data shows illicit cryptocurrency transactions more than doubled in 2025, with criminal‑linked addresses receiving an estimated $154 billion. The rise is attributed to increased sanctions‑evasion payments. Caio Motta, Chainalysis’ Latin American specialist, noted that cartels use cheap electricity and areas under their influence to establish large mining infrastructures.
Authorities are investigating whether the Puebla farm stole electricity from a nearby hydroelectric dam. Local residents reported hearing the whirring noise from up to a kilometer away, and the farm was located roughly twice that distance from the nearest village. Similar raids have occurred in Brazil, the U.S. and Southeast Asia, highlighting a growing global trend of crypto‑related crime.
