Controversy Surrounds Casino Permits Granted During Adán Augusto López’s Tenure
Deputy Octavio Martínez Vargas has called for an immediate investigation into the renewal of casino operating permits granted during the period when Senator Adán Augusto López Hernández headed the Ministry of the Interior (Segob).
The request follows a recent report alleging that a company linked to the brother of Hernán Bermúdez, former Secretary of Public Security of Tabasco, who is under investigation for alleged ties to organized crime, received the casino permit renewals while López was in charge of Segob.
The report focuses on Humberto Bermúdez Requena, Hernán Bermúdez’s brother, who is currently a fugitive from justice on charges including organized crime.
“This man has been close to several governors of Tabasco. And although Adán Augusto López [who also served as governor of that state] claims he only knew him as ‘a career police officer,’ the documents suggest otherwise,” stated García Orozco, who is leading the investigation.
In 2017, while serving as a notary public in Villahermosa, López notarized the articles of incorporation for Empresa Controladora de Promociones e Inversiones del Sureste, owned by Humberto Bermúdez. Later, that company partnered with Pool Umasal Top to obtain a casino license through a strategy that, according to the report, simulates the opening of new establishments by leveraging existing permits.
Subsequently, in October 2022, when López was head of Segob, that company received a 10-year extension to operate a casino, extending its validity until 2039. This action was authorized by the Directorate General of Games and Sweepstakes, which reports directly to Segob.
“It’s very blatant. First, as a notary, he helps them create the company, and then, as a federal official, he grants them the permit extension. There’s not just proximity: there’s a relationship of trust,” García emphasized.
Martínez Vargas’s Demand
Deputy Martínez Vargas believes that if the information is confirmed, the former federal secretary should be removed from his duties. He added that it is necessary to apply the law without distinction, in line with the current federal government’s commitments in its fight against corruption, and demanded the intervention of federal and state authorities to clarify the facts.
The legislator urged the institutions responsible for administering justice to initiate formal processes to determine the extent of the benefits granted. He called for legal action to be taken without delay, as omissions in these cases generate impunity and undermine institutional credibility.
The legislator assured that as a member of the local Congress, he will continue to promote the revision of regulatory frameworks related to gambling. Finally, he stated that the review of permits must adhere to the original legal framework and not to group or vested interests.
According to the deputy from the State of Mexico, this situation adds to other allegations of a suspected network of interests and corruption among businessmen, politicians, and criminal groups that favored the opening and legalization of gambling halls. He stated that the permits were allegedly authorized during previous administrations.
In his remarks, he also recalled that similar irregularities had been pointed out in previous administrations and stated that it is necessary to review all permits granted to operate betting houses.
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