President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on March 24 that Mexico has not fully identified the private company responsible for an oil spill impacting over 600 km of coastline in Veracruz and Tabasco. Following earlier cleanup reports, she ordered an interdisciplinary Navy-Pemex group for response efforts and directed the FGR to pursue an environmental damage lawsuit.
During her March 24 morning briefing, President Claudia Sheinbaum noted that Profepa investigations point to a private company's boat as the main source of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill—reported from March 1 in areas like Tamiahua, Tuxpan, and Cazones (Veracruz) to Paraíso (Tabasco)—with only a minor link near the Olmeca Dos Bocas refinery. 'It is not a Pemex spill, but Pemex is doing everything for the cleanup,' she emphasized, clearing the state oil firm while confirming the responsible company remains unidentified.
As previously reported on March 16, containment was declared complete, with Pemex achieving 85% beach cleanup progress and collecting 91 tons of hydrocarbon waste across sites in Veracruz (e.g., Playa Barrillas) and Tabasco (e.g., Barra de Tupilco). Pemex director Víctor Rodríguez Padilla and Navy officials have inspected areas, deploying more workers amid NGO criticism—e.g., Greenpeace calls the spill 'out of control,' highlighting 26 underserved sites.
Sheinbaum instructed formation of an interdisciplinary group with the Navy and Pemex for cleanup, tasked Profepa and Semarnat with oversight, and urged the FGR to investigate criminal offenses. She pledged support for affected fishermen. Earlier, Veracruz Governor Rocío Nahle attributed it to a Tabasco tanker. The company will be required to compensate damages.
