Overview
- Conagua said an open gate between the freshwater Estero El Camalote and the salty Laguna La Costa let the waters mix and upset the habitat, leading to mass fish deaths on the Veracruz–Tamaulipas border.
- State and federal teams reported that most carcasses were found at two points in the Laguna La Costa, where salinity rose after freshwater flow eased and dikes trapped fish away from safer water.
- The agency restored the gate to working order, began removing dead fish, and set up continuous water monitoring with local and state authorities.
- Water samples showed no hydrocarbons, and authorities said the event does not threaten drinking water for Tampico, Ciudad Madero, Altamira, or nearby communities in northern Veracruz.
- Fishermen shared videos of piles of carp, tilapia, bobo, and plateado over recent weeks, heightening worry in fishing towns already on edge after a separate Pemex leak in the Mezcalapa lagoon in Minatitlán.