Introduction
For eight long years, the so-called “Master Fraud” (Estafa Maestra) has eluded any form of punishment, neither in the penal sphere nor in administrative proceedings. Despite investigations by auditors, prosecutors, and judges, no concrete actions have been taken against those involved.
Key Figures and Their Current Status
Rosario Robles: Recently, Rosario Robles was acquitted of the accusation of abuse of power brought against her by the FGR. Emilio Zebadúa, her former director of administration in Sedesol and Sedatu, had a plea bargain agreement revoked in 2018 and is now being investigated instead of being a whistleblower.
Military Generals: Those military officers from Rosario who orchestrated the political promotion strategy and ground operations between 2013 and 2017 for a failed presidential candidacy (possibly Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong or Robles Berlanga) have been pursued. None are currently incarcerated.
Enrique Rodríguez Tiburcio: The former subsecretary of Territorial Reordering has never admitted any possible involvement in the scheme that diverted over 5,000 million pesos (less than half of the so-called Segalmex case).
Ramón Sosamontes Herreramoro and Rocío Bolaños: Two of Robles’ closest associates rejected offers (and pressures) to implicate their boss.
Pedro de León Mojarro: Once detained, he is now free while his case proceeds.
José Antolino Orozco Martínez
José Antolino Orozco Martínez, former head of the Political Policies, Planning and Institutional Linkage Unit for both secretariats, sought a plea bargain in May 2019 and exposed Zebadúa Gonzalez’s method for diverting resources. His testimony led to one of the most repeated narratives about the Master Fraud.
Legal Proceedings and Sanctions
Twelve high-ranking officials from Sedesol and Sedatu were accused by a federal judge of organized crime and illicit resource operations. Four years ago, Orozco Martínez was arrested and transferred to Reclusorio Norte, where Judge Selene Hidalgo Pérez decreed preventive detention until January 14, when his lawyers successfully changed the measure to house arrest in his hometown of Pachuca, where he remains.
A year earlier, on August 5, 2020, the then Head of the Responsibilities Area in the Internal Control Organ (OIC) of the Secretariat of Well-being imposed a fine of 105 million 187,000 pesos on Orozco Martínez. This sanction was not appealed to any other authority and caused an administrative process, but only towards the end of the administration did the then Head of the Responsibilities Area in Well-being request the Administrative Delegate of Collection “1” of the SAT to collect the sanction.
This attempt failed because the SAT stated that the deadline to enforce the sanction had passed. There were two more attempts by the OIC of Well-being to demand enforcement, but the SAT denied both due to the same reasons.
The then Head of the Specialty Area in Responsibilities reported this situation to the Internal Control Organ of the former Public Function Secretariat. Due to temporal factors, it is believed that those responsible for not processing the enforcement – Gregorio Guerrero Pozas, who was the Head of the Internal Control Organ, and Miguel Ángel Cedillo Hernández, who held the position of Head of the Responsibilities Area – are at fault.
Key Questions and Answers
- Why was the only case of the Master Fraud with a confirmed sanction not enforced? There is no clear explanation for this, but it appears that the responsible parties failed to process the enforcement within the given timeframe.
- Why wasn’t the Master Fraud sanction by the Anti-Corruption and Good Governance Secretarium a national news story? This remains unclear, but it could be due to the lack of follow-through on enforcing the sanction or other administrative complexities.
