Mexico City and the New Mexico Highway Network have debts of 15 billion pesos linked to CIBanco.

Dora Villanueva

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, July 21, 2025, p. 24

Mexico City and the Nuevo León State Highway Network (REA) have combined liabilities of 14 billion 917 million 395 thousand 522.32 pesos in which CIBanco is involved, according to debt records published by the Ministry of Finance.

The most recent information from the Single Public Registry shows that Mexico City has three outstanding loans totaling 5.575 billion pesos with the financial institution accused by the U.S. Treasury of facilitating money laundering for drug cartels.

Meanwhile, the Nuevo León State Highway Network issued two securities with maturities in 2038 and 2048, with a combined balance as of March of 9,342,395,522.32 pesos, an amount that has been increasing since its contract was signed.

CiBanco, one of the three institutions identified by the U.S. Treasury Department, along with Intercam and Vector Casa de Bolsa, as facilitating money laundering for drug cartels in Mexico, not only has a significant presence in the trust market but also maintains a significant stake in local debt.

According to the Treasury Department, the debt issued by the Nuevo León Regional Government (REA) during the administration of Jaime Rodríguez, known as "El Bronco," had to be justified because it exceeded the limits on expenses and costs related to obtaining financing.

In a pair of letters signed by Mauricio Zavala Martínes, general director of REA, it is explained that both issues, one for 4.76 million pesos and the other for 2.5 billion pesos, would have a cost above the limit. Financing costs and payments alone would represent 85.12 million pesos and 45.521 million pesos, respectively.

In both trusts, CIBanco acted as the common representative of both the REA and Invex, trustee of the instruments maturing in 2048 and 2038, with current balances of 6 billion 411 million 533 thousand 310 and 2 billion 930 million 862 thousand 212 pesos, respectively.

▲ Photo by Cristina Rodríguez

La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, July 21, 2025, p. 24

Banco del Bienestar is celebrating its sixth anniversary, has more than 3,000 branches, and serves more than 30 million people. The financial institution has focused its efforts on incorporating beneficiaries of the Mexican Government's Welfare Programs into the banking system, as well as consolidating its support distribution system.