Political adversaries officially implicate former interior minister of AMLO in alleged ties to the Tabasco crime syndicate
A political scandal involving two former Mexican officials, Adán Augusto López, the former interior minister and ex-governor of Tabasco, and Hernán Bermúdez Requena, ex-state security minister of Tabasco, has come to light, centering around alleged ties to organized crime, specifically the La Barredora gang linked with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
The Allegations
Bermúdez allegedly used his security post to facilitate extortion and fuel theft operations impacting key projects like the Tren Maya. These allegations have prompted political fallout, criminal complaints, and calls for López’s resignation and investigation by federal authorities.
The Relationship and Timeline
Bermúdez and López have a 30-plus year relationship, with López appointing Bermúdez as Tabasco’s security minister in late 2019. Before 2019, in November, military intelligence flagged Bermúdez's alleged involvement with organized crime, before he began his role in the state government. In January 2025, Bermúdez fled Mexico amid scrutiny of his alleged criminal ties.
Investigations and Political Implications
The Federal Attorney General's Office (FGR) is tasked with investigating López and Bermúdez for criminal ties. Investigations intensified with opposition parties filing complaints against López for criminal association in July 2025, with the PRI demanding López's resignation and a federal probe by the Attorney General’s office (FGR).
Media investigations exposed Bermúdez-led La Barredora’s infiltration into the Tren Maya project, with relatives of Bermúdez involved in contracts and illicit activities related to construction. The scandal highlights risks of organized crime infiltration into Morena’s flagship infrastructure projects and places significant political pressure on López and Morena leadership, including President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration.
Opposition lawmakers have pushed Congress to discuss the scandal, but Morena lawmakers have blocked these efforts. Military intelligence documents, released via leaks, suggested Bermúdez’s criminal links were known but deemed unverified “raw” intelligence not formally communicated to top officials including López or President AMLO.
Despite public silence from López, the scandal underscores a broader narrative of corruption tied to Mexico’s ruling party’s governance of security and development projects, with calls for accountability and judicial action continuing. Interpol has issued a "red notice" for Bermúdez, alerting police worldwide that he is a fugitive.
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- The political scandal involving Adán Augusto López and Hernán Bermúdez, former Mexican officials, has not only sparked calls for their resignation and investigation by federal authorities but also shed light on the potential risks of organized crime infiltration into general news topics, such as development projects and crime and justice issues.
- The news of alleged ties between Bermúdez and organized crime, specifically the La Barredora gang linked with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), has generated extensive coverage in various news outlets, including politics and crime-and-justice sections.
- The ongoing investigations by the Federal Attorney General's Office (FGR) into López and Bermúdez's criminal ties have raised questions about the accountability and governance of Mexico's ruling party in the realms of security, politics, and education, as key projects like Tren Maya have been impacted by extortion and fuel theft operations under their tenure.
