Mexico’s federal prosecutors seize 38 illegal slot machines near schools in Veracruz

Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office has confiscated 38 illegal slot machines and MX$44,000 in cash during a raid in Tuxpan, Veracruz, after a citizen complaint about gambling businesses operating close to schools.

Mexico’s Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) has announced the seizure of 38 illegal slot machines and MX$44,000 in cash following a court-authorised raid on a property in Tuxpan, in the northern part of Veracruz state. The action comes in response to a citizen complaint that alerted authorities to gambling businesses operating in the vicinity of local schools, in potential breach of the Federal Law on Games and Raffles.

According to the FGR’s Regional Control Unit in Veracruz, the Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation and requested a search warrant from a federal control judge at the Centro de Justicia Penal Federal. Once authorised, agents from the Policía Federal Ministerial entered the premises, securing the building, 38 slot machines and the cash proceeds found on site.

The operation was carried out in coordination with the Secretariat of National Defence (Sedena), the National Guard and the Veracruz State Police, which provided perimeter security during the raid. All seized items have been placed under the custody of the federal prosecutor while the investigation continues to determine the individuals responsible and any additional offences that may have been committed.

Federal authorities used the case to reiterate their call for citizens to report illegal gambling activities, stressing that complaints can be filed anonymously or in person at FGR offices in Veracruz throughout the year. The Tuxpan raid underscores Mexico’s ongoing efforts to clamp down on unlicensed gaming operations, particularly those operating close to schools and other sensitive locations.