Mexico dismantles 2,627 laboratories and detains 59,582 people

Judge orders immediate release of former Pemex director

The Control Judge, Consuelo Adriana Correa, revoked the preventive detention faced by Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, former director of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex). The decision was made after the defense presented a public deed that proves a fixed address in Mexico City.

One of the key factors was that, at the time the measure was imposed, Rodríguez Padilla had not been able to prove permanent residence. That gap was corrected with the new documentation.

In addition, the judge considered the writing of the former official’s wife, María Felicia Jiménez Lavie, who expressed her forgiveness and her intention to seek an alternative solution to the criminal process.

Based on these elements, Correa determined to modify the precautionary measure and annul the justified preventive detention.

Two-hour deadline for release

The resolution included a period of two hours, starting at 10:45 a.m. this Tuesday, for the director of the Morelos Social Reintegration Center to comply with the order and carry out the necessary procedures for the departure of Rodríguez Padilla.

The case continues its legal course, now without the measure of imprisonment.

Memorial in the Angel: who removed it?

Collectives of searching mothers installed a memorial at the Angel of Independence to make visible the more than 135,000 missing people in the country, among them Ana Amelí, a young woman who disappeared a year ago in Ajusco. The structure was removed less than 24 hours later. President Claudia Sheinbaum assured that the Government of Mexico did not participate in that action.

“This withdrawal was not up to the Government of Mexico,” he stated during his morning conference. She recalled that when she was head of Government of the capital, the installation of a memory space in the Glorieta de los Desaparecidos was respected. Sheinbaum reiterated that his administration maintains constant communication with the groups.

The case of Ana Amelí and the new alert system

Regarding the disappearance of Ana Amelí, Sheinbaum pointed out that the search efforts continue and that since he became aware of it, he instructed the Secretary of National Defense to have the National Guard support the family. He highlighted that, after the legal reforms promoted after the case of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, the early warning mechanism was strengthened.

He explained that when a prosecutor’s office receives a complaint, a National Alert is activated that involves security institutions and other entities such as airports to facilitate location. The Ministry of the Interior has an Early Warning Center that coordinates these actions. Sheinbaum indicated that this mechanism has made it possible to quickly locate people reported missing, either due to a crime or due to voluntary absence.

The president reiterated that the Ministry of the Interior and the National Search Commission (CNB) maintain permanent work with the groups. He recalled that the current head of the CNB was elected with the participation of these groups.

The hearing scheduled for this Tuesday against Víctor Rodríguez Padilla, former director of Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), for the crime of family violence, was held without the presence of the victim, María Felicia Jiménez Lavie. Through a document presented by his legal advisor, he reported that he will not appear before the judicial authority.

Absence of the victim in the process

The letter, addressed to the Control Judge Adriana Correa Ortiz, details that on July 13, 2026, the victim had a video call on the Meet platform with the Public Ministry agent Juan Carlos Lagunas Suástegui, the legal advisor Aleida Ramírez Catalán and a psychologist. At that meeting, the scope of the conditional suspension of the process was explained to her, after she previously expressed her intention to grant forgiveness to her husband.

The document also indicates that María Felicia faces an intense media siege that has prevented her from leading a normal life. She remains sheltered in her home along with her children, especially the minor, to protect them from public exposure.

“The media have been cruel and do not give us time or space,” says the writing.

The legal advisor confirmed the identity of the victim during the video call by showing his passport and professional license. With this notification, María Felicia’s defense states that she will not come to personally ratify the document requesting an alternative exit to the process.

After a brief recess, the judge will resume the hearing to determine the course of the case and the legal situation of Rodríguez Padilla.