Eliot Ness, Mexican style

It was a little disheartening to read New Years Day’s The Guardian, where it was suggested that the recent arrest in the United States of General García Luna and prosecution of Chapo Guzman was the oextent of the Mexican government’s “war” on corruption.  They completely overlooked our Eliot Ness… head of the FIscal General’s (the independent Attorney General’s office) Unit for Financial Intelligence, Santiago Nieto Castillo.

In the last year, Nieto’s department has managed to claw back a record 5,023,000,000 pesos (about US$270 million), in addition to 52 million US greenbacks, from various “white collar”, and rather soiled collar crooks… including the former CEO of PEMEX (and his mom), the long-time PEMEX union president, a disgraced Supreme Court justice, at least one former cabinet officer (who is now sitting in prison), a few ex-governors, former President Enrique Peña Nieto (no relation to this Neito)’s personal attorney, and some less illustrious, but equally entrepreneurial, crooks.  And, that’s just a warning to the others.  So far, it’s been rather simple, comparing spending to income and checking tax returns.  Gangsters of the old fashioned type may be a bit more difficult, but give Santiago Neito Castillo some time.

No need to go in, like the previous administrations did with guns blazing… It appears the “cartels”… having to turn on each other, and to enterprises with a quick cash return (kidnapping, people smuggling, plain old-fashioned banditry) are starting to feel a financial pinch… something one wishes the foreign media would recognize.

OK, Nitti… come out with your tax returns …