Mexican authorities find the bodies of 9 men near pipeline. Fuel theft by gangs is widespread

By EMILIO LUGO
Associated Press

JONACAPA, Hidalgo (AP) — Authorities in central Mexico say they found the bodies of nine men in vehicles near a fuel pipeline. The circumstances around the deaths remain under investigation, but there are indications that fuel theft may have been involved. Mexico faces a problem with gangs that steal gasoline, diesel and natural gas from government pipelines. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has made fighting fuel theft a central goal of his administration. But despite thousands of troops being deployed to guard pipelines, thousands of illegal taps are still found every year. The pipeline taps cause violence between gangs and pose a risk to residents.