Fuel theft poses first big battle for new president of Mexico

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s new president is facing the first major domestic challenge of his month-old administration, taking on fuel thieves who drill into government pipelines and steal from distribution depots.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office on Dec. 1, has taken the unusual step of shutting off some particularly theft-prone pipelines carrying gasoline and diesel. That has led to gasoline shortages and gas station closures in several states, but Lopez Obrador said Monday he isn’t backing down.

“Let’s see who gets tired first, the fuel thieves or us,” Lopez Obrador said. “We know it is not going to be easy, but we are not going to back down.