In a dangerous game of wack-a-mole, Mexico nearly eliminated rampant gasoline pipeline thefts only to now see cartels and common thieves stealing $1 billion worth of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) each year from state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex.
Under Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, theft from gasoline and diesel pipelines plummeted 94% after he deployed the National Guard and military surveillance to watch over the supply arteries. The glow of that success has been dulled, however, as criminals have switched to tapping the country's 1,000 miles of LPG pipelines.
Pemex found more than 2,400 illegal taps last year—up more than 10-fold in just three years. LPG is Mexico's top source of energy for heating homes and is also used in cooking. The thieves sell directly to homeowners and food merchants, often using trucks disguised to look like legitimate delivery vehicles.