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Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Federal Investigators Accuse Tamaulipas Governor of Money Laundering and Organized Crime Involvement

 "MX" for Borderland Beat

Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca has been accused of having ties to the Gulf Cartel for years

Mexico's Attorney General's Office (FGR) asked Congress to impeach Tamaulipas governor Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca so that they can legally proceed with a criminal investigation. He is wanted for his alleged involvement in money laundering, tax fraud, and organized crime.


According to the FGR and the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), Cabeza de Vaca received MXN$42 million (US$2 million) from a suspicious shell company that investigators say has no employees, financial assets, or tax record. These payments were done between April and December 2019.


The UIF says that Cabeza de Vaca bought several properties and illegally tried to conceal some of the money by funneling it through other shell companies.

In addition, the UIF is also investigating Cabeza de Vaca for his possible involvement with a group of public officials who reportedly received bribes from Emilio Lozoya, former head of Mexico's state-owned company Pemex. As reported by Borderland Beatthis bribery scandal was done during the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto.


In his official Twitter account, Cabeza de Vaca called the accusations "once again a partisan use of justice where there is no crime. A political attack is being organized." He added, "I have never violated the law." Other political supporters called this accusation a "witch-hunt" by incumbent President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.


A few years ago, Cabeza de Vaca reported to Mexico's tax tribual that he had 12 properties, ten of them in Tamaulipas and two in Mexico City and McAllen, Texas, respectively. Tax authorities said the "information declared was exhaustive and valid at the date of presentation".


Investigators now maintain the charges against Cabeza de Vaca are strong. "This inexplicable enrichment does not coincide with the salary he has as Governor of Tamaulipas", the UIF said.


Background


In the Mexican political system, politicians enjoy degrees of political immunity (Spanish: fuero), and this can only be rescinded by majority vote in Congress. Although this law has been in place for years and was put there to prevent politically motivated harassments from opposition lawmakers, fuero has been criticized for allowing politicians to act with impunity while in office.


Cabeza de Vaca has governed the state of Tamaulipas since 2016. Tamaulipas is the home turf of multiple drug cartels, including various Gulf Cartel (CDG) factions, the Northeast Cartel (CDN), and the Zetas Vieja Escuela (ZVE). Over the years, several journalists and political rivals have accused Cabeza de Vaca of having ties to Tamaulipas criminal groups.


In 2005, when Cabeza de Vaca was the mayor of Reynosa, he was accused of having ties to the Gulf Cartel and its former paramilitary group, Los Zetas. The cartel plaza boss at that time was Zetas founder Jaime Gonzalez Duran ('El Hummer'), who reportedly gave money to Cabeza de Vaca in exchange for protection from security forces.


In 2006, protected witnesses who worked for the Gulf Cartel told investigators that Cabeza de Vaca had ties to Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the former top leader of the Gulf Cartel. Whilst in prison, Osiel arranged a gift giveaway at a baseball stadium in Reynosa during Children's Day, reportedly with Cabeza de Vaca's approval.


René Izaguirre Rodríguez, one of Cabeza de Vaca's bodyguards and close friends, was kidnapped and killed. According to investigators, Izaguirre had ties to the old Gulf Cartel and was once the bodyguard of Mexican federal police chief Guillermo González Calderoni, murdered in McAllen in 2003.


When Cabeza de Vaca was 19, he was arrested in McAllen, Texas, for stealing a weapon and drug possession. The three people who were arrested with him were killed in Mexico years later.

"[Cabeza de Vaca] received money from criminal groups to boost his political career," said Raúl Eduardo Monge Castillo, current head of the Fiscal Office of Finance in Tamaulipas.


In addition, Monge Castillo maintained that during Cabeza de Vaca's campaign for governor, his brother Ismael Cabeza de Vaca requested support from other cartel leaders, including Julián Manuel Loisa Salinas ('Commander Toro'), and José Rodríguez Sánchez ('El Gafe'), both former leaders of the Gulf Cartel.


Cabeza de Vaca is not the only Tamaulipas governor who has been accused of money laundering and organized crime involvement. Former governor Tomas Yarrington, now in prison in the US after being extradited from Italy, ran an international money laundering scheme and had ties to the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas.


His predecessor, Eugenio Hernandez Flores, is wanted in the U.S. for money laundering as well. The leading candidate that followed him in 2010, Rodolfo Torre Cantú, was assassinated while campaigning for office.

Sources: Milenio; (2); (3)Infobae; Proceso; Borderland Beat archives

18 comments:

  1. Well, every governor of Tamaulipas in recent times has had ties to the Gulf Cartel. Maybe they should also look into fixing the political system that pretty much forces these guys to work with cartels. That’s the underlying problem. It’s not about Cabeza de Vaca. It’s about the rotten system. Had it been someone else we would have the same issue.

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    1. 11:39 well, this time IT IS ABOUT cabeza de cagadas de vacas...
      We have been commenting since he got to run for Tamaulipas governor, including here on BB.

      Delete
  2. from mugshots to becoming governor of tamaulipas yeah something is off about what he is probably involved in

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    1. 11:56 tejas mugshot, tejas actorities refused to comment about their pretty boy, "old story" they said.

      Delete
  3. Can’t wait till they catch this pig. Crazy all my friends I grew up around in matamoros were dirt poor didn’t have clothes or food. But this pig walks around with $10,000 boots on? Criminals and politicians are both evil but at least I can respect a Carrtel member more for not trying to hide the fact they they are criminals.

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    1. 12:06 tamaulipas criminals big and small have been working for this motherfacker since forever,
      but by the time he started his run for governor, he started getting rid of all the biggest ones, to have no creditors or living witnesses of his chingaderas.

      Delete
  4. I thought cabeza de Vaca was his nickname💀💀💀

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  5. I never heard of mexican or US government worker who didn't steal. Look our Congressman in the RGV are rich, they really Crooked. Want a law passed u pay

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  6. This guy is the epitome of corruption in Tamaulipas..

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    1. Ni de pedo. There are worse. Yarrington was much worse than him, he’s responsible for Osiel’s ascension since he was in Matamoros as mayor during the fall of Juan Garcia Abrego and became governor when Osiel regrouped Z-1 and Z-3 in Matamoros.

      Delete
  7. This dude was dirty before being a governor, he couldn’t shake that off it was a matter of time before all that shit came afloat.

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    1. Former governors manuel cavazos Lerma of tamaulipas and manlio fabio beltrones, alias la fabis were being sought by US for drug trafficking and money laundering until EPN got them to write the energetic reform, that was one more corrupt drug deal...

      Delete
  8. Came here and not disappointed. Other outlets just give snippet views of this story. But this is very comprehensive. Seems like Cabeza de Vaca is deep with the CDG. Calderoni was an old schooler and I think from Reynosa. Gracias BB

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  9. I wish these Guys would name Americans that recive money from Drugs I cant wait.. Name every American thats recives bribes

    ReplyDelete
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    1. "Name every American thats recives bribes"
      Ohh ohh this guys wanting some dirt on gringos to even the score in his angry little bean.Go figure that?

      Delete
    2. I’m sure there are some, but not in positions of power i.e. mayors, governors, presidents. In Mexico EVERY political position is involved. Stop looking to point the finger at the US. There are 3 more pointed back at Mexico while you point that finger

      Delete
    3. 5:35 since the Vietnam war where cuban refugee Felix Ismael Rodriguez Mendigutia was trafficking (after stints in operation 40 in mexico and the Bay of Pigs Fiasco) for CIA director GHW Bush before going to establish drug trafficking from colombia, honduras, nicaragua, el salvador, mexico to the US until he ordered the kidnapping torture interrogation and assassination of Kiki Camarena...he was not his own boss or got to keep all the money...you wish US politicians were a little more decent, at least a few ones, and that's what you got, a few ones

      Delete
  10. I wont be surprise if gets killed after his term ended. If i were him, move him and family to Europe for safety. I've seen lots of x-politicians getting killed in Mexico.

    ReplyDelete

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