MEXICO CITY, May 30 (Reuters) - Mexican authorities said

they seized more than 3 million liters (792,516 gallons) of

illegally stored fuel at a property in the country's southeast

state of Tabasco, the latest in a string of major fuel-related

seizures across the country.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The seizure on Thursday is part of Mexico's ongoing battle

against fuel smuggling, which includes both the theft of fuel

from state-run oil firm Pemex's pipelines and imports under

false classifications to evade taxes.

KEY QUOTES

"Eighteen vehicles, three pieces of machinery, and 3,904

metal-structured containers containing the hydrocarbon,

identified as a petroleum derivative, were secured," Mexico's

security cabinet said in a joint statement on Thursday.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday the

seizures have to do with a recent system of "traceability" of

fuel imports from their origin until they reach the point of

sale.

CONTEXT

State-owned Pemex has for years faced rampant theft of crude

and refined products through illegal pipeline taps across

Mexico, resulting in massive losses.

BY THE NUMBERS

Over the past weeks, authorities have discovered 1.5 million

liters of fuels in two raids in the state of Tabasco and 10

million liters in the state of Tamaulipas from a ship from the

United States that had arrived weeks before in Mexico.