The US Treasury points the finger at Mexican banks and Salinas Pliego does not remain silent
The US Treasury Department decided to bring out the big guns on June 25: it accused CIBanco, Intercam and Vector—yes, three Mexican financial institutions—of being the undeclared tax haven for money laundering linked to opioid trafficking. He called them “top concern” and, as if it were a scene from Breaking Bad, cut off their access to certain transfers. Reason? Million-dollar movements that, according to them, benefited Mexican cartels and even financed chemical precursors to cook that fentanyl that no one asked for but everyone fears.
Salinas Pliego: between sarcasm and corporate defense
While the financial world was wondering if this was the beginning of a bureaucratic soap opera, Ricardo Salinas Pliego—the man who could sell ice in the Arctic—decided to enter the chat. And he did it with that style of his that oscillates between the serious CEO and the guy on WhatsApp who shares political memes. After Claudia Sheinbaum‘s request that the US present evidence, he released on 24 hours.” Free translation: “See? We do act quickly… when we are pressured.”.
But as a good influencer in the business world, he was not satisfied with a single tweet. In a second act, he dropped an ironic gem about the withdrawal of visas for employees of those banks: “For God’s sake! Apparently, there will soon be several mega-mansions for auction sale in the US. We will have to be ready to take advantage of the opportunities.” In other words, if drug trafficking leaves luxury homes cheap, does that count as a flash deal? Questions that only Salinas Pliego can ask without being canceled.
The background: Real operation or geopolitical theater?
Beyond the acid humor, the setting is murky. That the US targets Mexican banks is not new, but this time they targeted the pocket of organized crime. And although local authorities—like the CNBV—acted quickly (or so Salinas says), the doubt persists: is this a real blow to drug trafficking or just a diplomatic move to pressure Mexico? Because, let’s be honest, if fentanyl were a hashtag, it would already be a trending topic years ago.
The truth is that Salinas Pliego’s message, between the lines, reflects that mixture of skepticism and sarcasm that many Mexicans feel in the face of these accusations. Conclusive evidence? Concrete actions? Or, as he would say: “So, do they think we are more capable of laundering money than of laundering our reputation?”.
Are you surprised by Salinas Pliego’s reaction? Share this note and discover more about how the financial world and organized crime sometimes seem to share a bank account. #DirtyMoney #FinancesWithoutFiltro
