The CNBV intervenes in banks accused of laundering money for drug traffickers

The authorities act after signals from the US, but who watches the watchers?

Because nothing says “financial transparency” like an express intervention

Oh, what a surprise: the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) decided that CIBanco, Intercam Banco and Vector Casa de Bolsa needed a management “change of look.” Reason? Nothing important, just the small detail that the US Treasury Department accused them of laundering money for the most famous cartels in Mexico. But don’t worry, this is totally coincidental and has nothing to do with the fact that the gringo sanctions came out just a day before. Of course not.

The art of strategic collaboration (when you get caught)

CIBanco, with its modest 143,000 million pesos in assets, quickly came out to say that it will collaborate “at all times” with the authorities. What nobility! Although one wonders: why did they wait until their accounts were frozen to become so cooperative? Of course, they assure that their clients’ savings are very protected, as if that would calm anyone who discovers that their bank could be the Western Union of organized crime.

RelatedUS sanctions reconfigure the Mexican financial system

Meanwhile, Vector, owned by tycoon Alfonso Romo, received its dose of “specialized supervision.” Because nothing inspires more confidence than a brokerage house handling drug money while its owner boasts of being an exemplary entrepreneur. Could it be that in his next pitch he will say: “Invest with us, even the cartels do it!”?

Sheinbaum and the art of creative defense

President Claudia Sheinbaum, in a plot twist worthy of a soap opera, came out to defend the Mexican financial system because, according to her, U.S. He has not shown them proof. “They are just normal transfers between Chinese and Mexican companies,” he said, as if moving money in industrial quantities was the same as paying for Uber. Of course, the Mexican authorities did find administrative faults (fined 134 million pesos, a joke for these amounts). Missing or features of the system?

And to close with a flourish, the Association of Banks of Mexico declared that this is not a systemic risk. Thank goodness! Because what would happen to us if the banks that launder money for drug traffickers affected financial stability. That would be serious!

Moral? If your bank appears on a money laundering list, it may be time to reconsider your savings strategy. Or at least, to ask yourself: “What kind of crime novel did I get into?”.

Are you surprised? Share this gem of an alternative reality and continue exploring how money moves the world… and drug traffickers too.

Kenia López Rabadán criticizes the INE for not stopping early campaigns

The PAN deputy demands that the electoral authority act without subordination in the face of anticipated acts.

The president of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Deputies, Kenia López Rabadán (PAN), questioned the decision of the National Electoral Institute (INE) to remove the debate on the regulation of early campaigns from its agenda. He considered that the authority must act independently to stop these acts, especially those initiated by Morena in its internal process of selecting candidates for governors for 2027.

“The electoral authority must make an objective, clear and evident analysis, and without any type of subordination to anything. Hopefully the electoral authority can soon make a clear definition so that there are no anticipated campaign events,” he declared at a press conference.

López Rabadán warned that processes initiated outside the electoral calendar, even if they intend to be integrated later, are illegal and must be sanctioned. He insisted that pre-campaigns without legal basis generate bad practice for the country.

Position on Councilor Montaño’s project

The legislator also rejected the project of “General Guidelines to regulate and supervise the processes, acts, activities and propaganda carried out in political processes” promoted by counselor Jorge Montaño. He pointed out that any modification to the law should have been made 90 days before the start of the electoral process, and not now.

“If they want to modify the law, they had up to 90 days before the electoral process began to modify the electoral rules. If we get used to the law being violated and no one saying anything, it will be terrible for the country,” he stated.

The PAN member’s call comes amid Morena’s progress in defining its candidates for 2027, which has raised alerts about possible early acts of proselytism. The INE, for its part, has not issued an official position after removing the issue from the agenda.

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Law against feminicide: PRI sees it as insufficient, Morena prioritizes it

The presidential initiative against feminicide divides opinions in the Senate: PRI questions impunity, PAN asks for analysis and Morena prioritizes it.

Proposal and reactions

President Claudia Sheinbaum’s initiative to create the General Law to Prevent, Investigate and Punish Femicide generated divided positions in the Senate. Morena will seek to rule it as a priority at the beginning of the next period in September, while the PRI and the PAN expressed reservations.

PRI: the problem is impunity

PRI senator Carolina Viggiano Austria maintained that feminicide cannot be resolved with new laws or increased penalties. “You can put 100 years or 70 years in prison, but if you never manage to investigate or sentence those responsible, what you put is simply propaganda,” he said.

He pointed out that the real reform is in the local prosecutor’s offices: insufficient, poorly paid and unprepared public ministries. He proposed strengthening research, technology and specialized personnel capacities with a gender perspective.

PAN: in-depth review

Mayuli Latifa Martínez, vice coordinator of the PAN, asked to read the initiative before setting a position. “This heinous crime against women should unify us,” she said. But he warned that it is not enough to create standards: prevention and protection actions are required.

He highlighted that before feminicide there is a chain of attacks—familial, psychological, economic—that many victims do not report due to lack of prompt justice and economic dependence. He demanded a detailed analysis of the obligations for the states.

Morena: approval required

Morenoist Verónica Camino Farjat celebrated that the proposal reached the Senate first. He explained that there are currently differences between states in the classification and sanctions of feminicide, which benefits perpetrators in cases that cross borders. “What we are looking for is that the same classification exists in all states,” he indicated.

Camino Farjat announced that the commissions could begin the analysis immediately, even before the regular period, to have the opinion ready in the first week of September. The Morena bench considers the initiative a priority to protect women’s rights.

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They dismantle two clandestine laboratories in Michoacán and Nayarit

The Navy located and disabled two laboratories with the capacity to produce 17.5 tons per month.

The Secretary of the Navy (Semar) reported that in recent days, naval personnel located and disabled two clandestine laboratories in Michoacán and Nayarit. In the operations, 11 reactors of approximately 30 thousand liters were seized, as well as 2.5 tons of chemical precursors and specialized infrastructure for the production of illicit substances.

Details of the operation

According to a statement from the agency, both facilities had a production capacity of more than 17.5 tons per month. The estimated value in the illicit market reaches 412 million dollars. Semar stated that this seizure represents resources that stopped strengthening financial structures of criminal organizations.

The laboratories were identified through naval intelligence work, aerial and ground surveillance, operational reconnaissance and coordinated actions between security authorities.

Semar highlighted that under the current administration it has located and disabled a total of 75 clandestine laboratories. This is equivalent to an economic impact for organized crime of 20 thousand 186 million 608 thousand 766 Mexican pesos.

The agency assured that it will continue with these tasks as part of the National Security Strategy. Just on July 14, the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, reported that from October to June the Security Cabinet has dismantled 2,627 clandestine laboratories and methamphetamine concentration areas. In addition, it reported 498.98 tons of drugs seized, including 5 million 546 thousand fentanyl pills.

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