Casino Owners in Mexico Allegedly Extorted by Government Officials

A couple of years ago, allegations surfaced that casino owners in Mexico were extorted by the Secretaría de Gobernación (Segob), the country’s interior ministry, during Adán Augusto López’s tenure as its head. López was previously a presidential candidate.

The alleged extortion scheme was reportedly orchestrated by Manuel Marcué Díaz, a close ally and fellow native of Tabasco of Adán Augusto. Marcué Díaz was appointed as the director general of Juegos y Sorteos (Games and Sweepstakes). He previously held positions in the health departments of Tabasco and the State of Mexico (Edomex).

Journalist Claudio Ochoa Huerta discussed the matter in his column “Miocardio” last Sunday, titled “The Plan to Extort Casino Owners.” He reveals that Marcué Díaz allegedly partnered with Amílcar Olán Aparicio, a close friend of President AMLO’s sons and a suspected front man, according to various investigations.

Ochoa Huerta claims this alliance generated a monthly income of 120 million pesos, which allegedly ended up in Adán Augusto López’s campaign, according to witnesses. The journalist writes that upon assuming his position, Marcué, along with Amílcar, began visiting casino owners across the country. “They went for the big names and also the not-so-important ones,” he explains.

Individuals like Óscar Paredes, founder of Palacio de Números; Javier Rodríguez Borgio of Big Bola; and Martín Fuentes, partner of actress Jaqueline Bracamontes, reportedly facilitated these meetings. However, they were not complicit but rather sought to distance themselves from the situation.

The column alleges that Amílcar and Marcué developed an extortion scheme, charging 1,000 pesos per slot machine and 5,000 pesos per table monthly, all in cash to avoid detection.

These large sums of money allegedly led to money laundering operations. “The money allegedly went to hospitals related to Marcué’s political family.”

Ochoa Huerta explains that Manuel Marcué later introduced Amílcar Olán to businessman Daniel Flores Nava, a close associate of Adán Augusto López. Flores Nava died in a plane crash in Veracruz in late July 2023. Following the introduction, Olán and Flores Nava formed Proyecta Integral de México, a company that received 30 billion pesos in contracts for the Dos Bocas refinery. A dispute later arose, with Amílcar allegedly declaring himself the leader.