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Vigilantes Catch Gasoline Thief in Mexico, Brand Him With Hot Iron

Mexico continues to face a drastic gasoline shortage: the latest report from Reuters notes that queues at gas stations in Mexico City still stretch for miles and that Pemex / Petroleos Mexicanos pipelines are still being illegally tapped – and run dry.
Suspected gasoline thief branded with hot iron by vigilantes in Mexico 38 photos
Photo: Twitter / Yo Chilucas
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In this context, it’s no wonder regular motorists get angry whenever gasoline thieves strike in the community, taking the gas canisters they probably spent hours waiting for. A group of vigilantes are taking matters into their own hands, branding all suspected thieves they catch.

A video currently being spread on social media shows just how these vigilantes operate. Criterio Hidalgo says they go by the name “Los Marca Bueyes” (The Oxen Branders) and they make sure every thief they catch doesn’t leave their sight without a painful memory of the encounter. Their name is self-explanatory as regards their choice of punishment for all gasoline thieves.

In the video, a man is shown with his hands cuffed behind his back, head down and face covered. Another man is holding him down, while another uses a hot rod to brand him on his upper back. The brand reads “por rata,” which is Spanish for “for being a rat.”

The dude who’s using the hot iron can be heard urging the alleged thief to “shut your mouth… you get it for being a rat and I’m not going to charge you for the tattoo.” Criterio Hidalgo says the incident occurred in Ecatepec, which is just north of Mexico City.

The automotive industry and other industries have already started showing the effects of the gasoline shortage, but President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador insists the situation is on the mend – or, at the very least, somewhat improved.

Since he sent the army to guard the Pemex installations last month, theft has gone down from “over a thousand” truckloads a day to just 27 truckloads.
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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