Catalytic oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of a Mexican diesel fuel on a spent HDS catalyst, deactivated by metal deposits, was carried out during several reactive-batch cycles in order to study the catalytic performance to obtain low sulfur diesel. To explain catalytic activity results, Mo and/or V oxides supported on alumina pellets were prepared and evaluated in the ODS of a model diesel using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) or H2O2 as oxidant. The catalytic results show that V-Mo based catalysts are more active during several ODS cycles using TBHP. The performance of the catalysts was discussed in terms of reduced species of vanadium oxide, prevailing on the catalysts, which increase the sulfone yield of refractory HDS compounds (DBT, 4-MDBT and 4,6-DMDBT). (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.