Gasoline theft crackdown sparks Mexican fuel crisis

A crackdown against fuel theft in Mexico was yielding positive results, though it sparked severe fuel shortages in parts of the country and long lines of angry motorists, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said.

In a bid to eliminate years of mounting theft, state oil firm Pemex has changed its distribution, triggering shortfalls in at least six states, including Guanajuato, a major car-making hub in central Mexico.

Lopez Obrador told a news conference the government had not established a date for when operations would return to normal, but stressed that supply was not in danger.