Mexico suspends 13 casinos for alleged money laundering

Mexican authorities person suspended operations astatine 13 casinos allegedly utilized to launder millions of dollars overseas

MEXICO CITY -- Mexican authorities suspended operations astatine 13 casinos that allegedly were utilized to launder millions of dollars overseas, officials said Wednesday.

Grupo Salinas, the conglomerate of companies belonging to TV, retail and banking magnate Ricardo Salinas Pliego, who has clashed repeatedly with the medication of President Claudia Sheinbaum, said that 2 of the targeted casinos belonged to it. The conglomerate denied immoderate wrongdoing and accused the authorities of harassment successful a statement.

Mexico’s Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said 3 of the companies progressive had ties to organized crime, but helium did not place which ones.

The schemes usually started with a stolen identity, said Grisel Galeano, Mexico’s apical taxation prosecutor. Students, homemakers oregon retirees without a batch of wealth would person electronically prepaid cards oregon codes from chartless sources that they could usage successful a casino. Once they placed a bet, adjacent for a tiny amount, the casino would usage their individuality to registry a windfall of millions. That wealth would beryllium transferred to overseas accounts of beforehand businesses and past to taxation havens. It would past beryllium sent backmost to Mexico done the casinos oregon different companies, according to Galeano.

The monthslong probe progressive authorities successful different countries, including the United States, Mexican officials said.

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