15:53Machine-translated from Azerbaijani by AIRead in Azerbaijani
Mexican Police Find Secret Cryptocurrency Farm With 300 GPUs
Mexican police have uncovered a secret cryptocurrency farm in the city of Tlaola, in the mountainous Sierra Norte region of Puebla state. During the raid, nearly 300 GPUs, chips used to perform graphics computations that were being used for cryptocurrency mining, as well as electrical and satellite communications equipment, were seized. Investigators believe the farm was illegally connected to the grid of the nearby Presa de Necaxa hydroelectric plant. The facility has been linked to drug cartels generating income and laundering money.
Federal forces, the Navy, and state police took part in the operation. During the raid, 300 GPUs, 80 medium-voltage cable terminals, 1 transformer, and 8 satellite antennas were seized. This is the 4th secret cryptocurrency farm found in the region since the beginning of 2025. The other 3 facilities previously discovered were also located near the same hydroelectric plant. 2 residents of neighboring communities said they could hear the noise from the transformers and cooling systems from 1 km away. The farm was located just 2 km from the nearest village. In remote areas such as Tlaola, which has a population of approximately 20,000, it is difficult to conceal high noise levels and heavy electricity consumption. However, cheap energy and cartel control over the region make such areas suitable for illegal cryptocurrency mining.
According to Chainalysis estimates, the volume of illicit cryptocurrency transactions rose from $59 billion (approximately 100.3 billion manats) in 2024 to $154 billion (approximately 261.8 billion manats) in 2025. Much of the increase has been linked to governments evading sanctions. According to SILIKN, the laundering of illicit funds through cryptocurrency mining in Mexico increased by at least 55.8% in 2025. Electricity theft also makes this activity cheaper for criminal groups. Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación and its armed wing, La Barredora, have a strong presence in Puebla state. SILIKN claims that these groups and Cartel de Sinaloa have established cryptocurrency farms to mine Bitcoin, Monero, and Tether. Similar illegal facilities have also been discovered in Brazil, the United States, and Thailand. Mexican authorities have not disclosed what information led them to the farm in Tlaola.
Federal forces, the Navy, and state police took part in the operation. During the raid, 300 GPUs, 80 medium-voltage cable terminals, 1 transformer, and 8 satellite antennas were seized. This is the 4th secret cryptocurrency farm found in the region since the beginning of 2025. The other 3 facilities previously discovered were also located near the same hydroelectric plant. 2 residents of neighboring communities said they could hear the noise from the transformers and cooling systems from 1 km away. The farm was located just 2 km from the nearest village. In remote areas such as Tlaola, which has a population of approximately 20,000, it is difficult to conceal high noise levels and heavy electricity consumption. However, cheap energy and cartel control over the region make such areas suitable for illegal cryptocurrency mining. According to Chainalysis estimates, the volume of illicit cryptocurrency transactions rose from $59 billion (approximately 100.3 billion manats) in 2024 to $154 billion (approximately 261.8 billion manats) in 2025. Much of the increase has been linked to governments evading sanctions. According to SILIKN, the laundering of illicit funds through cryptocurrency mining in Mexico increased by at least 55.8% in 2025. Electricity theft also makes this activity cheaper for criminal groups. Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación and its armed wing, La Barredora, have a strong presence in Puebla state. SILIKN claims that these groups and Cartel de Sinaloa have established cryptocurrency farms to mine Bitcoin, Monero, and Tether. Similar illegal facilities have also been discovered in Brazil, the United States, and Thailand. Mexican authorities have not disclosed what information led them to the farm in Tlaola.