Puebla police investigate suspected cryptocurrency farm linked to money laundering

Puebla, Mexico. Police in central Mexico have uncovered a suspected clandestine cryptocurrency farm in Puebla state that may have been used to mine virtual coins and launder illicit funds. Authorities were alerted by the facility’s mechanical noise and electricity consumption, which exceeded the needs of nearby Sierra Norte communities.

Equipment discovered

The operation was located in a ramshackle building near a sparsely travelled gravel road in the green mountains of central Mexico.

Authorities found 300 graphics processing units, 80 medium-voltage terminals and eight satellite antennae. The equipment was configured for cryptocurrency mining, a process in which powerful computers compete to solve puzzles and generate virtual assets such as bitcoin.

Although modest by international commercial standards, the site was the fourth cryptocurrency farm discovered in the area since early last year.

Investigation into organised crime

Mexico’s federal attorney’s office declined to comment, citing an active investigation.

David Saucedo, a Mexico-based security analyst, said the operation would have required technical expertise and financial support from a well-funded group, such as one of Mexico’s most powerful cartels.

Crypto mining has become a new area of concern in Mexico’s efforts against organised criminal groups, which have expanded beyond drug trafficking and extortion into financial crime.

Growth in illicit crypto transactions

Illicit cryptocurrency transactions worldwide more than doubled in 2025, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. Addresses linked to criminal activity received an estimated $154 billion, compared with $59 billion a year earlier.

Chainalysis said much of the increase was linked to transactions involving sanctions evasion, including payments connected to sanctioned governments.

Caio Motta, Chainalysis’ Latin America specialist, said criminal cartels in the region are increasingly using cryptocurrency transfers and mining operations to launder money as virtual currencies gain wider use among individuals and institutions.