The Secretary of the Navy (Semar) assured that there is no longer any theft by pirates on the Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) platforms, thanks to the fact that a plan was undertaken to stop crimes committed by oil company employees and not by fishermen between 2019 and 2020.
“Currently, (theft and piracy on oil platforms contracted by Pemex) no longer occurs,” said Javier Torres Claudio, head of the Port Captaincy and Maritime Affairs Unit of Semar.
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According to the vice admiral, there were many thefts on oil platforms and some ships in the Gulf of Mexico, which is why they are asking for support in surveillance and security of operations.
In 2020, the Mexican Navy carried out an operation and at that time we found theft and piracy on the platforms of Petróleos Mexicanos contractors, he commented within the framework of the XXIX Annual Congress of Shipping Agents, organized by Amanac.
“Although we were fighting piracy and armed robbery, Pemex and the companies that were affected did not file complaints with the Public Ministry, something that is very necessary in the event of any crime,” said the official.
Without complaints, it was difficult for the maritime authorities to follow up and promptly investigate the theft and piracy on oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, he recalled.
The person in charge of the port captain explained that within the entire strategy the Navy Secretariat has Marine Infantry personnel deployed on board the Pemex platforms.
“On these platforms, obviously, there are no thefts, but there are other platforms that do not all belong to Pemex. As you know, Pemex hires private companies and on some of those there were thefts and the problem is that they said they were fishermen,” he declared.
A fisherman does not know what tool he will take nor does he have any idea which valve to steal, much less does he know how to disassemble the equipment, he explained.
“We demanded that Pemex file demands for follow-up, but they did not do so. So that made it clear to us that it was the same Pemex personnel,” said Javier Torres Claudio.
“Today (the robberies) are not occurring or being carried out and I just confirmed that with the person who asked me the question, who came and told me that currently (that crime) no longer occurs,” he said.
The disappearance of theft and piracy on oil platforms is good news, which is why the actions carried out by the Mexican Navy “have given good results,” he pointed out.
—Did these 2020 operations end piracy on the high seas of the Gulf of Mexico?
-It’s right. It’s right. It was an operation that was carried out in the entire part of the Campeche probe, it included part of Veracruz, Tabasco and Campeche. And a large operation was deployed with personnel, with boats, with helicopters to combat this situation and, thank God, it was achieved.
