A day after being remanded to prison on domestic abuse charges, former Pemex CEO Víctor Rodríguez is now being linked to a questionable 4.8 billion-peso (US $277 million) no-bid vehicle-leasing contract while in charge of the state oil company.
A formal complaint about the contract was submitted to the Anti-Corruption Ministry on July 6 and then forwarded to the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), the Tax Administration Service (SAT) and the federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR).
(Roberto Arcide / Unsplash)
The complaint requests a review of the legality of the procedure by which the contract was awarded, as well as an investigation into the technical and financial capacity of the consortium comprising the companies Arrendo Serv and Impulsa Tu Ganancia to which it was granted.
The complaint also alleges conflicts of interest and simulation of competition, and requests an investigation into the identity of the final beneficiaries.
According to Pemex’s contract documentation, an exception to the public bidding procedure was made for reasons of national security, public safety and the protection of strategic facilities.
The contract — which includes the leasing of between 350 and 1,200 specialized vehicles per fiscal year, in addition to maintenance and unit replacement — contemplates a maximum amount of 4.838 billion pesos to be distributed through Dec. 31, 2028.
Proceso magazine reported that among the lines of investigation are the involvement of Carlos Alberto Ulloa (representing Impulsa Tu Ganancia) who was formally accused of misappropriation of public funds, abuse of power and embezzlement in 2020 while serving as personal secretary to then-Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum.
Ulloa is currently the general director of the state-owned medical company Birmex, so his involvement in the Pemex contract is a potential conflict of interest.
Additionally, the three primary shareholders in the consortium — José Alejandro Reyes Zeind, Kora Naama Conchas Burelo and Alberto Pliego Hernández — allegedly have close ties with Ulloa.
Finally, the Impulsa Tu Ganancia address listed in the contract appears to be bogus. No company personnel were found at the location in Metepec, México state, nor was there any visible identification of its offices.
Rodríguez has been a close friend of President Sheinbaum but she publicly cut ties with him on June 29, saying the full extent of the law would be applied
Rodríguez served as Pemex director from October 2024 through May 14, 2026, when he resigned. Video of Rodríguez physically attacking his wife at their home in the state of Morelos in mid-March surfaced last month and she filed a criminal complaint shortly thereafter.
He was arrested in Mexico City on Tuesday and booked into a Morelos state prison where he remains.
With reports from El Universal, Proceso, El Imparcial and Milenio
