Bitcoin Mining Crackdown: Mexico City Lawmaker Targets Electricity Theft

A Mexico City lawmaker, Alberto Martínez Urincho, has proposed amending Mexico's Federal Criminal Code to impose prison sentences of 5 to 12 years for electricity theft used in cryptocurrency mining, with fines of 1,000 to 3,000 UMA, according to Publimetro. The move targets a growing practice in which miners tap the grid illegally to power Bitcoin and other proof-of-work operations, a cost that utilities and regulators have increasingly sought to recover. If enacted, the amendment would elevate what is currently treated largely as a civil or administrative matter into a serious criminal offense, raising the legal risk profile for illicit mining operations in Mexico. The proposal signals heightened regulatory scrutiny of crypto mining's energy footprint in a country where subsidized electricity has made unauthorized mining economically attractive. Observers will be watching whether the bill advances through Mexico's legislature, how enforcement is coordinated with the national utility (CFE), and whether similar measures spread to other Mexican states.