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The Mexican Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), in its capacity as the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (Procuraduría Fiscal), and the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV), have frozen bank accounts belonging to Hernán Bermúdez Requena and his family members, business partners, and allied companies. At the same time, operational licenses have been revoked from several casinos owned by the Bermúdez group by the Ministry of the Interior (Segob).
This combined operation comes in the wake of a large-scale federal probe into allegations of money laundering, suspicious financial activities, and organized crime ties. Bermúdez, once a state Secretary of Public Security in Tabasco, is a fugitive. Authorities believe that the financial and organizational networks named after him have been at the center of illegal activities in multiple markets, some of which include gaming and betting centers.
Casino Licenses Suspended on Fraud Allegations
Segob’s suspension of casino licenses adds a new twist to the case. Authorities claimed such businesses, under Bermúdez family control, may have conducted schemes on tax fraud and money laundering of illegal funds. Some companies are accused of using fake transactions to obscure the source and flow of resources.
One of the sensitive aspects of the case is related to a probe that found that a business owned by Bermúdez’s brother was given a renewal of a license for casino operations under unclear terms. This was at a time when Adán Augusto López was heading Segob, a political figure now a senator. Although no direct charges have been leveled against López, his proximity to the Bermúdez clan and the timing of the license approvals have caused anxiety among the public and politicians alike.
Hernán Bermúdez Requena: Ex-security Chief turned Fugitive
Commonly referred to by the nickname “El Abuelo“, Hernán Bermúdez was made a fugitive on February 14, 2025, when a judge from the state of Tabasco issued an arrest warrant on charges ranging from criminal association, extortion, to kidnapping. Interpol subsequently published a red notice that placed him on a wanted list across more than 190 nations. The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) confirmed Bermúdez fled the nation on January 26, 2025, days prior to his arrest order.
The fall of the former security chief is nothing new. Back in 2021, Mexican Army reports already identified Bermúdez as “Comandante H“, the suspected leader of a reputed criminal syndicate called “La Barredora“. The group consists of some former police officers and is said to be conducting systemic illegal activity across Tabasco, from fuel smuggling and extortion to human trafficking and sales of narcotics.
Political Implications and Pleas of Innocence
The investigation gathered momentum following the swearing-in of Javier May, the new governor of Tabasco and a member of the incumbent party Morena. May’s administration resumed prominence to Bermúdez’s alleged criminal ties, this time placing greater emphasis on lingering suspicions over his participation in regional security and administration.
Even after mounting evidence and official accusations, Adán Augusto López has maintained that he “never suspected” Bermúdez of anything, despite their political coalition and friendship that dated to more than three decades ago. His claim was met with doubt by political observers and opposition lawmakers, who question how close friendships were possible alongside the alleged criminal activities now being probed.
The case of Hernán Bermúdez Requena stands out as an example of the Mexican authorities’ enhanced efforts at dismantling illegal financial operations and exposing corruption linked to political figures. Freezing assets and cancelling casino licenses is a severe blow to the Bermúdez clan’s business interests and reflects a tendency toward greater accountability in Mexico’s legal and financial institutions.
Source: YogoNet
