Mexico arrests former governor in alleged fuel smuggling network case

Mexican authorities arrested former Baja California governor Ernesto Ruffo on Thursday in an investigation into alleged large-scale fuel smuggling.

The Attorney General's Office said Ruffo was identified as one of the leaders of the operation. Attorney General Ernestina Godoy said in a video statement that it was the largest fuel smuggling network detected in Mexico to date.

Godoy said the alleged operation used a port services company founded by Ruffo. She said the company formally imported petroleum products from the United States, but when the shipments arrived in Mexico it declared smaller quantities or different products from those being transported.

The fuel was then distributed mainly in northern Mexico while bypassing customs controls, before being moved to other regions, Godoy said.

According to Godoy, the network's financial movements included transfers of more than 3 billion pesos, about $170 million, and foreign-exchange operations of more than $1.3 billion.

Authorities have described stolen fuel trafficking as one of Mexico's most lucrative criminal activities, alongside the drug trade. In September, authorities arrested a vice admiral, five navy sailors, former customs officials and businessmen as part of a crackdown on fuel theft.