Federal financial authorities have frozen the accounts of the head of the Pemex petroleum workers union due to allegations of illicit enrichment and money laundering.

Union leader Carlos Romero Deschamps has been unable to access his bank accounts since Monday, the newspaper Reforma reported. The accounts of his wife and children were also frozen.

On Friday, the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) received an information request from the Finance Secretariat’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) regarding the bank accounts of Romero and his family.

The UIF argued that all are currently under multiple investigations for illicit gains and money laundering.

According to official sources and those close to the accused, the union leader and ex-senator is expected to resign from his union post on Wednesday.

Although the UIF did not confirm the freezing of the accounts, Romero’s legal advisors told Reforma that Romero’s account, as well as those of his wife Blanca Rosa Durán and his three  children were also frozen.

President López Obrador denied on Wednesday morning that the accounts had been frozen.

Yesterday the president suggested Romero should step down from the union’s leadership and face the accusations against him.

Romero faces nine charges brought against him by the UIF and the Secretariat of Public Administration.

The UIF has accused Romero and his family of laundering approximately 74 million pesos (US $3.8 million).

The allegations brought by the SFP accuse Romero of illicit enrichment in the amount of 36 million pesos through cash and bank card transaction from 2012-2018.

In February, new evidence was brought against Romero to support a 2016 criminal complaint of organized crime, tax evasion, money laundering, fraud and illicit enrichment.

Source: Reforma (sp)