Two luxury SUVs gifted to the Mexican government by the King of Jordan will either be sold at auction or given to the National Guard, President López Obrador said today.

“Whether two vehicles – of the most extravagant kind you can imagine – will be sold or given to the National Guard is under review,” the president told reporters at his morning press conference.

“[They are] two vehicles that the King of Jordan gave to the president’s office and which we didn’t know existed but now they’ve appeared,” López Obrador said.

Although it is unclear whether they will go under the hammer, the president said the two SUVs will be put on display at the government’s second luxury vehicle auction, which will be held at the former presidential residence, Los Pinos, on May 26.

While government vehicles were auctioned in February, this time luxury cars seized from organized crime will be put up for sale.

Around 30 million pesos (US $1.5 million) in revenue that the auction is expected to generate will fund a national anti-addiction strategy, López Obrador said.

The president explained that his newly created “Robin Hood” agency ­– the Institute for Returning to the People What Was Stolen – will organize the auction.

The same agency, he added, will be responsible for selling properties seized from corrupt politicians.

Future money raised by selling off seized assets will be given to the poorest municipalities in the country, where residents will decide how to spend it, López Obrador said.

“The public should decide if it’s invested in roads, on improving schools or on the many other needs that the forgotten people of Mexico have.”

Source: El Financiero (sp), Multimedios (sp)