Authorities Reject Gas Station Closure Allegations

Mexico's federal energy and consumer protection regulators issued a joint rebuttal denying claims that ongoing service station closures are a coordinated strategy to mask a national fuel inventory crisis. Backed by a 9% year-over-year increase in gasoline and diesel sales from January to May 2026, PEMEX and SENER confirmed optimal fuel reserves, framing recent franchise suspensions as routine regulatory compliance inspections carried out by ASEA, CNE, and PROFECO. This coordinated institutional response seeks to project market certainty amid localized price-cap enforcement campaigns and external supply chain volatility fueled by recent Middle East trade corridor disruptions.

SENER, PEMEX, CNE, PROFECO, and ASEA issued a joint rebuttal this week against claims circulating in opinion media that federal authorities were coordinating closures of service stations to mask an alleged fuel shortage or inventory crisis. The five institutions characterized the claims as totally unfounded and disconnected from the country's actual operational reality, stating that inspection, verification, and audit processes carried out continuously across Mexico's regions do not respond to political criteria or hidden logistical contingencies, but are conducted under strict adherence to applicable legal and regulatory standards.

The rebuttal followed claims in a journalistic opinion segment suggesting federal authorities were closing gas stations to disguise a fuel shortage. PEMEX denied the existence of any fuel shortage in the country and stated that, contrary to the allegations, gasoline and diesel sales rose 9% between January and May of this year compared with the same period last year. "PEMEX has enough to supply its clients and the supply operates regularly," the company stated.

On its website, PEMEX also explicitly denied carrying out gas station closures "to hide an alleged gasoline and diesel shortage ," noting that SENER, PEMEX, the CNE, PROFECO, and ASEA clarify that the situation is false.

PEMEX stated that the verifications carried out by regulatory bodies are conducted in strict accordance with applicable regulations, in keeping with their respective authorities and obligations, and that through these reviews the competent authorities ensure that the population has access to legal fuels that meet appropriate quality standards, in the correct volume, and under conditions that are safe for both users and the environment.

The state agencies explained that these government actions are part of each regulator's mandate and serve as indispensable mechanisms of technical oversight, ensuring that final consumers receive licit fuel that meets proper chemical quality properties, is dispensed in the precise volumes paid for, and that facilities maintain optimal operating conditions to safeguard user safety and mitigate local environmental impacts.

Reserves and Supply Chain Status

The energy authorities confirmed that the state enterprise holds sufficient reserves and active supply contracts to fully cover the daily needs of its industrial and retail client portfolio, with hydrocarbon flow and the supply chain operating under a scheme of absolute logistical regularity at storage and distribution terminals. This solidity in national inventories is directly reflected in PEMEX's commercial performance metrics, with gasoline and diesel sales volume showing a 9% increase for the January–May period compared to the same cycle the previous year.

The institutions stated that their pronouncement seeks to consolidate a signal of certainty for investors, commercial franchisees, and the general population, reaffirming that no risk factors or technical alerts threaten the national energy balance. They emphasized that coordination between regulators and the state enterprise will continue permanently to defend legality across the energy sector's supply chain and consolidate hydrocarbon sovereignty.

Routine regulatory inspections of gas stations are a standing function of Mexico's energy sector oversight architecture, carried out by CNE for permit compliance, PROFECO for consumer protection (verifying dispensed volumes match what customers pay for), and ASEA for safety and environmental standards. When stations fail these inspections, they can face suspension or closure, a normal enforcement outcome that, absent context, can be misread or deliberately mischaracterized as evidence of a supply crisis rather than routine compliance enforcement.

PROFECO's No Cargues Aquí Banner Campaign

A separate and ongoing PROFECO initiative has also placed visible signage at gas stations across the country. PROFECO has been placing banners reading, No cargues aquí, se vuelan la barda con los precios (Do not refuel here, they overcharge), at gas stations found to be charging excessive prices for regular gasoline and diesel, with the campaign relaunched in mid-April after President Sheinbaum endorsed the strategy during her morning press conference.

The pricing target is for regular gasoline to stay below MX$24/L and diesel to approach MX$28/L, with PROFECO reporting that 15 stations were visited simultaneously in one early sweep and banners placed at 10 for exceeding the agreed pricing. PROFECO Director Iván Escalante explained that the agency first requests pricing justification from fuel providers before any banner is placed; if a commercial information review confirms prices exceed the established profit margin, the banner and warning seals are then installed at the station. By late April, PROFECO had conducted 44 verification visits and placed banners at 14 stations under this protocol.

The banners function as a consumer-redirection mechanism: motorists are advised not to fill up at flagged stations, with nearby alternatives typically available, and PROFECO maintains an updated virtual price map allowing drivers to compare costs in real time. In one documented case in Puebla, a flagged Gulf station lowered its regular gasoline price within days of the banner's placement, though it maintained higher prices on premium and diesel.

The diesel pricing push follows the global hydrocarbon price surge triggered by the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Mexico waived 81% of the IEPS tax on diesel to mitigate the impact on consumers, while the government negotiated with the fuel sector to keep diesel as close as possible to MX$28/L.