La Jornada: PT in San Lázaro asks to investigate alleged extortion at customs

The Labor Party (PT) bench in the Chamber of Deputies presented a request for the Ministry of Finance and the Tax Administration Service (SAT) to investigate an alleged extortion network in the customs of Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, Matamoros, Reynosa and Nuevo Laredo, which demands “fees” of up to 10 million pesos from associations of importers of used cars from the United States, in exchange for authorizing protections and permissions.

Likewise, the Foreign Relations Commission has received complaints of excessive charges from Mexicans who return to the country from the United States with clothing, perfumes or electronic items.

In a point of agreement, the PT coordinator, Reginaldo Sandoval Flores, explained that illegal charges occur in the prevalidation and import processes of vehicles and said that in recent weeks representatives of importer associations have reported this practice within the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM), as well as the alleged participation of officials.

Excessive payments and administrative obstacles

Excessive or unforeseen payments for the procedures have been documented, he added, as well as cancellations, restrictions and administrative obstacles for those who do not agree to the alleged economic demands, and even possible protection for certain importing companies.

The document refers to the allegations made by car importers, in the sense that, despite the dismissal of Alex Tonatiuh Márquez as director of the ANAM, for alleged acts of corruption, the former official “would maintain operational control within that office, in complicity with other officials.”

Sandoval Flores said that the complaints have been sent to the Foreign Relations Commission and that in that instance various legislators have expressed “their deep concern about the exponential and systematic increase in citizen, legislative and sectoral complaints regarding the excessive collection of fees, extortion, harassment and harassment by ANAM personnel.”