El Ciudadano
Original article: El nuevo negocio de los cárteles: revelan investigación en México a petrolera de EE.UU. por contrabando de combustible
Mexican authorities are investigating the Texas company Ikon Midstream for allegedly playing a key role in a fuel smuggling network involving diesel, gasoline, and naphtha connected to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in a scheme that reportedly evaded millions of dollars in taxes by misclassifying these fuels as lubricants to avoid high tariffs.
The Attorney General’s Office filed charges against the Houston-based oil company following testimonies, documents, and surveillance that indicate it as a central player in this criminal network. According to security documents from the Mexican government obtained by international media, the company allegedly took part in a complex web of importers, transporters, and facilitators operating from the ports of Ensenada and Guaymas.
The modus operandi identified by authorities involves illegally importing diesel from the United States and Canada by falsely declaring it as a lubricant, a product exempt from the high tariffs Mexico imposes on fuels. This tactic reportedly allowed for tax evasion amounting to millions of dollars, making fuel smuggling the second-largest source of income for Mexican cartels, trailing only narcotics.
The ship Torm Agnes, chartered by Ikon Midstream, is under scrutiny from investigators. Upon arrival at Mexican ports, the cargo was reportedly unloaded by transport companies suspected of being fronts for the CJNG. Among them is Mefra Fletes, identified in government documents as a central component of the scheme, with owners allegedly having direct ties to the criminal organization.
Search Warrant Executed: A Pattern of Recurring Errors in Customs Declarations
The investigation gained traction after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security executed a search warrant at Ikon Midstream’s Houston offices on April 14. The Homeland Security Investigations agency did not provide further details on the operation, merely confirming it is part of an ongoing inquiry into criminal activity.
Rhett Kenagy, the CEO of the Texas oil company, has vehemently denied the accusations. In statements issued to international media, he asserted that there exists no documentation to support the allegations and that his company has never provided material assistance to the CJNG. Regarding the errors in their customs declarations—classifying diesel as lubricants—the company, through a statement sent to Reuters, attributed them to «administrative failures» and claimed there was no «intent to evade tariffs.»
However, records indicate a recurring pattern. Internal documents shared by the company reveal that at least four shipments made last year used tariff codes corresponding to lubricants, contradicting the claims made by their representatives.
The plot extends to Mexican companies such as Intanza and Azteca Cone, both suspended from the importer registry by the Tax Administration Service. Neither of these firms has a verifiable physical address, internet presence, or registered phone numbers, complicating investigation efforts. At least 16 individuals have been arrested in the Latin American nation since September in connection with this criminal network, reported La Jornada.
The U.S. government designated the CJNG as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year, expanding legal tools to target any entity providing material support to the cartel. Meanwhile, Ikon Midstream faces an increasingly complex situation: its commercial ties with shell companies, the systematic errors in its customs declarations, and the federal search warrant paint a picture that authorities consider, at minimum, profoundly suspicious.
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