Saturday, July 5, 2025

In less than a month, CDMX police detained 3 men carrying millions of pesos in cash

The chance capture of three men found carrying a total of more than 4 million pesos (more than US $250,000) has Mexico City authorities looking for answers.

In all three separate cases, the suspects were pulled over for driving erratically and not wearing their seat belts and, upon inspection, found to be in possession of large sums of cash. None of the men were able to provide a reasonable explanation for the money.

The first incident occurred on Feb. 21 in the Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood in western Mexico City. When asked for his license, the driver exited his vehicle, claiming it was in the back seat, whereupon the policeman saw two boxes that were filled with cash.

Questioned about the money, the suspect contradicted himself repeatedly, offering incoherent explanations. The man, identified as Luis Ángeles Cano, 39, was apprehended and taken to the Mexico City District Attorney’s Office for further questioning.

On March 6, El Universal reported that another man was stopped in the same Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood under similar circumstances — changing lanes erratically and not wearing a seat belt.

During the traffic stop, police noticed a gray duffel bag in the front passenger seat stuffed with cash. The unidentified suspect could not satisfactorily explain the origin of the 1.1 million pesos (US $68,000) and was taken into custody.

Mexican pesos laid out on a car seat next to a shopping bag
The most recent detention involved a man carrying 700,000 pesos in cash. (Mexico City SSC).

Two days later, an El Universal report described a nearly identical episode, again in Lomas de Chapultepec. This time the driver reacted nervously upon spotting a police cruiser and when the officer noticed he was not wearing his seat belt, the car was pulled over.

When the driver reached into his backpack to retrieve his license, the policeman noticed a large amount of cash — 700,000 pesos (nearly US $42,000). The suspect was unable to produce any documentation authenticating the source of the money and was arrested.

The authorities have so far declined to verify the status of the three individuals involved.

The incidents had El Universal speculating the illicit cash might be related to the upcoming elections.

With reports from El Universal and Infobae

1 COMMENT

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
News quiz

The MND Quiz of the Week: July 5th

3
Floods, football and fiscal responsibility: Have you been following the news in Mexico this week?
Jake Paul points at boxer Julio César Chávez Jr

Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr., facing organized crime charges in Mexico, is detained by ICE

2
The former world boxing champion faces accusations of arms trafficking in connection to the Sinaloa Cartel.
people walk through mexico city with umbrellas, with the latin america tower in the backgound

An unusually rainy June brings drought relief and flooding to Mexico

4
Mid-way into the rainy season, Mexico's reservoirs are 45% full on average — a big improvement over last month, but still less than historical norms.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity