In the context of a corruption scandal at Mexican Food Security (Segalmex), a total of 26 individuals have been linked to criminal proceedings, of which nine are former public officials and 17 are private citizens. Among the implicated is Manuel Lozano Jiménez, former head of marketing, who was arrested in Argentina and an extradition process has been initiated against him.
Another detainee is Hugo Buentello Carbonell, who served as deputy director of Operations at Liconsa, a subsidiary of Segalmex. His capture took place upon leaving the United States embassy in Mexico. The investigation by the Federal Public Ministry of the Attorney General's Office (FGR) originated from a complaint filed by the legal representative of Segalmex regarding the theft of tons of corn belonging to the institution.
The inquiry focuses on the theft that occurred at a collection center, where 250 tons of corn were stolen. Evidence is being gathered to establish the corresponding responsibilities. Segalmex has been one of the most prominent corruption cases during the presidency of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, with an estimated embezzlement of nine million pesos during the years 2019 and 2020.
The Ministry of Public Administration (SFP) has reported that part of that amount (four billion 700 million pesos) has already been clarified with evidence, while two billion 100 million are undergoing analysis and two billion 700 million have not been clarified. Following the investigations, 955 million pesos were recovered that had been illegally invested in securities, resulting in criminal complaints.
In September 2024, the Federal Prosecutor, Grisel Galeano García, mentioned that 156 complaints had been filed for irregularities in Segalmex, with a verified patrimonial damage of two billion 700 million pesos. The complaints include crimes such as organized crime, money laundering, tax fraud, embezzlement, illicit enrichment, and more.
In total, 47 individuals were investigated as a result of the complaints filed, and an arrest warrant was obtained against all of them in the context of this corruption scandal at Segalmex.
