Authorities in the Mexican state of Michoacán are employing satellite technology to counter water theft, spotlighting the growing threat posed by criminal groups exploiting an increasingly scarce and valuable natural resource.
The governor of Michoacán, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, announced in late April that the state’s environmental surveillance system, used to monitor deforestation and land-use, would also keep an eye on 35,000 privately-owned irrigation reservoirs to ensure they are not illegally filled during the dry season. If the reservoirs are filled, the government will investigate the source of the water used, he said.
The system, which is backed by NASA and European Union satellites, would permit authorities to “address environmental crimes on a large scale like never before in the state’s history,” Bedolla said.
While the authorities provided no details on how the reservoirs could be illegally filled, the new surveillance technology should shed new light on the criminal dynamic, as water theft from lakes and pipelines becomes an increasingly pressing issue in Michoacán.
Water is frequently illegally extracted from Michoacán’s Lake Patzcuaro, one of the Mexico’s largest inland bodies of water. Police were sent to protect Patzcuaro in April last year after theft and drought reduced its surface area by 42%, pushing water levels to their lowest ever. In one instance, police dismantled a water pump system that had stolen over 100,000 liters of water in just eight hours. Dozens of meters of water piping were siphoning the water to a nearby avocado orchard.
Michoacán is far from unique. Up to 15% of Mexico’s water could be lost due to water theft, according to experts consulted by Connectas.
Water scarcity is a growing issue in Mexico, particularly in the arid northern states. Areas of Sinaloa, Sonora, Chihuahua, and Coahuila are currently experiencing “exceptional drought” – the most severe level on the Mexican government’s Mexico Drought Monitor.
In March, the United States refused to release Colorado River water to Mexico in response to Mexico’s inability to meet its water sharing obligations. This was the first time the United States had refused the release in the 80-year partnership agreement. On April 28, Mexico said it would meet its water-sharing responsibilities.
InSight Crime Analysis
Like other vital resources, including oil and timber, water is now being exploited by criminal groups across swathes of Mexico. The government’s limited capacity to police water sources and distribution, and the probability of further drought, means water theft will likely continue and could even rise.
A report from Mexico’s National Water Commission (CONAGUA) accessed by Sol de Mexico identified 5,000 taps of water pipes in the north of the country, almost three times the number five years ago. In March 2024, Mexico City authorities proposed a bill to increase fines for illegal water pipe taps, which usually siphon water to tankers or modified trucks that move the water to be sold elsewhere, amid a period of low water supply.
In addition to water theft, organized crime groups also control water distribution. During recent field work in Culiacán, Sinaloa in April this year, sources told InSight Crime that crime groups, particularly the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, were imposing an illegal tax system on commercial water distributors and forcing redistribution on their terms, affecting prices and security.
Criminal control of water distribution also allows groups to extort farmers. According to a recent report by El Impartial, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Mazatlecos use threats to control irrigation modules that manage water distribution for farmers’ fields, and contain information on the amount of crops farmers have sown and the volume of water they need. The groups will cut water access, block roads, and burn farmers’ machineries if they are not paid.
The drought affecting Mexico could also push water theft to rise in line with price. Huachicoleo, or oil theft, expanded during spells of higher gas prices, suggesting the possibility of higher profit margins drove increased instances of theft. Water prices increased by almost 5% in Sinaloa last year.
Featured Image: A water tanker being filled. Credit: Francisco Rodríguez, El Universal, Mexico.
