Martín Camarena de Obes was appointed as the honorary consul of the Philippines in Guadalajara in 2002 and was ratified in this position last year. However, on March 23, the Secretariat of Foreign Relations (SRE) removed him from this position without explaining the reason. Behind this decision are accusations from the U.S. Department of the Treasury against a company linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in which Martín Camarena de Obes is a partner. On February 19, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned five individuals and 17 companies linked to a timeshare fraud scheme led by the CJNG. At the center of the scheme was the Kovay Gardens tourist complex, which canceled its social media accounts and web pages after the revelation. One of the companies linked by U.S. authorities to the scheme is Ornitorrinco Inmobiliaria S.A. de C.V. The Public Registry of Commerce of the Secretariat of the Economy shows that Martín Camarena de Obes is a partner and owns 50% of the company, while Carlos Humberto Rivera Miramontes holds the remaining percentage. According to reports, the scam consisted of offering timeshares at the Kovay Gardens complex to adults, especially retirees. 'Timeshare fraud in Mexico has affected U.S. victims for decades, costing them hundreds of millions of dollars and enriching criminal organizations like the CJNG,' stated the OFAC. What was Martín Camarena de Obes's role as honorary consul of the Philippines? Martín Camarena was ratified in 2025 as the honorary consul of the Philippines in Mexico, although his appointment began during the government of Vicente Fox in 2002. He administered Baja California, Baja California Sur, Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa, and Sonora, according to the SRE. His functions included the promotion of commerce and tourism, as well as representation and support before local authorities in matters of consular protection and assistance. The SRE stated that the OFAC sanctions are of an administrative nature and do not, by themselves, imply a criminal investigation or arrests.
