Sheinbaum's Government Increases Oil Shipments to Cuba Threefold

The administration under Claudia Sheinbaum has significantly ramped up the delivery of subsidized oil and its derivatives to Cuba, tripling shipments in just four months, as revealed by a report from Mexicanos contra la Corrupción y la Impunidad (MCCI). Authored by Verónica Ayala, this investigation highlights that from May to August 2025, Mexico dispatched 58 oil cargoes to Cuba, amassing a total value of $3.002 billion, nearly 60 billion pesos.

This volume is threefold compared to the figures reported by Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) in the final two years of Andrés Manuel López Obrador's presidency, where fuel exports to Cuba reached approximately $1 billion from July 2023 to September 2024. According to MCCI, these shipments were managed by Gasolinas Bienestar, S.A. de C.V., a Pemex subsidiary formed in 2022 specifically to supply hydrocarbons to Cuba at preferential terms, highlighting Mexico's financial backing of the Cuban regime.

Gasolinas Bienestar reported losses of 5,836 million pesos in its inaugural year due to the complimentary fuel given to Cuba, exacerbating Pemex's overall financial strain. MCCI's maritime tracking identified that the Cuban vessel Sandino, sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department since 2019 and listed on the OFAC blacklist, has been used to transport part of this fuel.

On August 20, the Sandino departed from Pemex’s maritime terminal in Laguna de Pajaritos, Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, arriving a week later at the “Camilo Cienfuegos” refinery located in the island's central-southern region. Utilizing a vessel sanctioned by the U.S. could lead to diplomatic conflicts and financial sanctions against the Mexican government, as U.S. laws prohibit transactions with entities on the OFAC list. Despite this, the Sandino has continued its routine journeys between Havana and Gulf of Mexico ports, as per satellite tracking reviewed by MCCI.

Unprecedented Fuel Shipments

During the year's second quarter, fuel shipments reached unprecedented levels. May saw a cargo valued at $24.6 million; June witnessed 38 shipments totaling $826 million; July recorded 11 cargoes worth $1.425 billion; and August had 8 deliveries valued at $726.7 million, bringing the period's total to $3.002 billion.

MCCI analysts point out that the funds sent to Cuba match the entire federal budget of the Secretariat of Citizen Security and Protection, led by Omar García Harfuch, and quadruple the amount allocated by the Attorney General's Office (FGR) for prosecuting federal crimes. These figures also surpass the resources of the Multiple Contributions Fund (FAM) for basic educational infrastructure, which ranges between 13,000 and 15,000 million pesos.

Financial Implications for Pemex

The oil value sent from Mexico to the island exceeds $3 billion, a “remarkable” figure for a company like Pemex, which is grappling with one of its worst financial crises ever, facing a debt over $100 billion and struggling to sustain its domestic production. Alongside the Sandino, the Ocean Mariner, a Liberian-flagged vessel, has been identified as another key transporter of hydrocarbons between Mexico and Cuba.

The ship left Tampico port on May 23 heading to Santiago de Cuba, subsequently making at least three additional trips to Cuban ports such as Havana, Moa, and Cienfuegos, according to satellite tracking records. Most shipments originated from Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, with three departing from Tampico, Tamaulipas. In most cases, Coreydan, S.A., a Cuban state enterprise located in the same building as the Unión Cuba-Petróleo (CUPET) in downtown Havana, is listed as the fuel importer. In three transactions, Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also appears as an importer.

The products shipped include crude oil, jet fuel, diesel oil, gas oil, and gasoline, primarily destined for Cuban state-run refineries “Ñico López” and “Camilo Cienfuegos”. The Mexican portal Contralacorrupcion.mx, part of MCCI, warns that the surge in fuel shipments coincides with an intensified Cuban energy deficit, as the island faces prolonged blackouts, crude shortages, and a deteriorating electrical grid.

Energy Alliance Amid Warnings

Experts cited by the portal believe Sheinbaum’s policy fortifies the energy and political alliance between Mexico and the Cuban regime, despite U.S. warnings about potential financial repercussions for collaborating with OFAC-sanctioned entities. Meanwhile, the subsidized fuel deliveries to the island are straining Mexican public finances, and several opposition factions have criticized utilizing national resources to support foreign governments instead of funding domestic social programs.

The highest recorded amount so far occurred in July 2025, when Mexico dispatched eleven shipments of crude and derivatives valued at over $1.425 billion, surpassing the federal road maintenance budget nationwide. MCCI's investigation concludes that these oil and derivative shipments have turned Pemex into a diplomatic tool for providing energy support to the Cuban regime, while the company faces mounting losses and a steady decline in its national production.

Mexico has emerged as a primary financier of the Cuban regime through the continuous supply of subsidized oil. In the year's early months, daily shipments reached 196,000 barrels, far exceeding the historical records of energy cooperation between the two governments. This sustained flow has positioned Mexico ahead of Russia as the largest crude supplier to the island, reinforcing its role as a crucial economic support amid Cuba's energy crisis, according to foreign trade data cited in specialized reports.

The shipments have intensified even during periods of significant internal shortages in the Mexican electrical grid. Despite the scale of these operations, Pemex has refused to disclose shipment details, citing "national security matters," raising questions about the use of Mexican public funds to sustain a foreign regime. The numbers confirm that this support is substantial: between January and November of last year alone, Mexican energy exports to Cuba reached $500 million, exceeding the budget of several Mexican federal institutions and reflecting a sustained policy of external subsidy without clear economic reciprocation.