WARNING purchasing of gasoline from non authorized vendors

[navegator]

Purchasing gasoline or Diesel fuel from non authorized vendors is a crime in Mexico, if you are caught purchasing you will be spending time in jail.

There are individuals that tap into the pipelines that transport gasoline and Diesel fuel they are the "quachicoleros" and sell this products from private houses or corrupt gas stations.

If you purchase from a corrupt gas station you will not be charged with a crime since it will be impossible for you to know the source of the fuel.

On the other hand if you purchase fuel from an individual at a private house or repair garage or any location that is not an authorized gasoline vending station, and you get caught you are in a heap of trouble, the Canadian and American Embassies can only assist you by providing a list of attorneys to represent you in front of the Juez (Judge) they do not and can not interfere or get you out of jail only a Mexican lawyer that represents you in court can post a bond.

The Motorhome, toad, or trailer and tow vehicle will be confiscated not to be returned, so do not do anything dumb.

navegator

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Esos gasolinistas se llaman ángeles.

Those gasoline sellers are called "Angels" in Spanish. They drive 76 miles to El Rosario to fill their drums at the gasolinera of Antonio Munoz. A gasoline station in Mexico is called a gasolinera. It helps to memorize this word as the term "Pemex" confuses many people who are not familiar with English speaking visitors.

A good point about the angeles is that when you pay for 20 liters of comestible (fuel) you get 20 liters. Sometimes a few drops more. It is common for an angel to drive 150 miles and stay in the hot sun all summer and if they charge a 3 dollar per gallon extra, the cost of hauling a drum 150 miles, and sucking on a hose per order warrants an ice cold drink in my book.

As far as the pipeline robbers go, a great deal of the money goes into the pockets of organized crime. I wish them nothing but sparks en their endeavors.

[navegator]

The theft of fuel from the pipelines has only happened in the last two years so it is fairly new, the narcos are using it for transportation of the goods they peddle and making an illicit profit on the side.

navegator

[navegator]

If there was a gas station and it closed in Baja, that is not stolen fuel, it is in the main land where they are taping into the transfer pipelines and stealing hundreds of liters, the only pipeline in Baja goes from Mexicali to Tijuana and it is only in the last year that some theft has occured, when you purchased fuel some years ago the problem probably did not exsist.

The stolen fuel is priced between 7 pesos to about 12 pesos per liter way lower than what a legit seller could sell for, you purchased fuel that was not stolen.

navegator

[mexicoruss]

I have had to buy gas from the guys in Catavina before, there used to be a Pemex there and since these guys are on both sides of the road and Federales go back and forth through there more than a few times a day I doubt very much you will have any problems with authorities if you buy gas from these particular guys as they are providing a much needed service since the actual station there shut down.

[profdant139]

I am probably revealing how out of date my info is, but is that guy still there in Catavinia selling gas out of his truck, for folks who have gotten caught short in the gas gap between El Rosario and Guerrero Negro? We did not have to buy gas from him, but I felt like he was providing a useful public service!

Or maybe they opened a Pemex near that place??

[daveB110]

For several years we camped on the beach, 40 km from a Pemex. In seven winters there only once did we buy 5 gallons from an independent garage. We always bought gas from Pemex for our towed car, when going to town. It appears Mexico is throwing wrenches into everything they can think of, and the constant, threatening tone from Washington has come down to roost?

[navegator]

To answer your question briansue, those bonfires on the side of the road are actually places where the 18 wheelers stop to have a bite to eat, they have been there for more than 50 years and seeing them from my very beginning driving to the border, you will also find them on other roads where there is commercial truck driving at night, they are also there in the day time, a make shift tent with some folks, they take your order and go to the nearest house and prepare the tacos or whatever they serve and bring them to you.

Now getting back to the fuel theft, it mainly takes place South and east of the city of Puebla big time, there are other places that it is beginning to happen, near Guanajuato, in Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Estado de Mexico, and lately near Mexicali on the pipeline that goes to Tijuana, all of this is an offshoot of the cartels.

If anyone offers you "gasolina barata" (cheap gasoline) let them know that you have a full tank and thank them. "tengo el tanque lleno, gracias"

Be aware and be safe.

navegator

[Dennis12]

see

[briansue]

What are those places on the side of the road up north between San Luis Potosi and Laredo - I forget exactly where - a lot of places that seem to buy and sell fuel - buy from company truckers - sell to independent truckers? They have things by the side of the road where they burn fires to show their location at night. I am not sure if they are pipeline tappers as they are very obvious and there are quite a few of them. I have thought they buy fuel from company trucks - some big company bought the fuel - then they sell it to the smaller independent truckers - but I would be guessing. I can't come up with another reason they would be there and that they are so obvious. If they are tapping pipelines you would think they would have been stopped long ago. I would not stop there - just wondering if anyone knows for sure what the deal is.

[Talleyho69]

Thanks for that. Obviously PEMEX realizes that there are a few, probably very few places where that need might arise.

You do great work. Your information is always very helpful. Thank you!

[navegator]

There are places way out in the boodoks that do not have a gas station and fuel is sold from houses or a tlapaleria or the corner store they are known to PEMEX, the guachicoleros are close to citys where the pipe lines run, I am trying to find out where they operate other than the state of Puebla, so that the RVing comunity knows.

navegator

[qtla9111]

After our summer trip to San Miguel de Allende, we headed to another great state park in the southern tip of Nuevo Leon, El Salto. There is only one gas station within 150 kms of Matahuala and Aramberri. There has never been anything in between. Gas is commonly sold from small businesses and homes.

We don't buy it, but when you live on the ranch and your income is limited, you're not going to drive 100 kms to get a tank of gas so that when you return you're less than half full.

It is illegal and I agree with you, but at the same time it is not profitable for a Pemex (that we now know is a franchise business) to supply fuel to places that would leave a station or business at a loss.

[Talleyho69]

I think most of us have had at least once, the need to purchase fuel from a place other then a PEMEX when there wasn't one around. Fortunately, now there is usually a PEMEX just about everywhere.

[gbopp]

On the other hand, if you're dumb enough to buy gas or diesel from a private residence, maybe you should be locked up? :S