Two Mexican Nationals Charged in Multi-Million Dollar PEMEX Bribery Scheme

Two Mexican businessmen residing in Texas have been charged in connection with a high-value bribery scheme targeting senior officials at Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) and its exploration subsidiary, PEMEX Exploración y Producción (PEP). The indictment, unsealed in the Southern District of Texas, alleges the pair conspired to corruptly secure lucrative state energy contracts through illicit payments and luxury inducements.

Ramon Alexandro Rovirosa Martinez, 46, of The Woodlands, and Mario Alberto Avila Lizarraga, 61, of Spring, are accused of offering and paying at least $150,000 in bribes between 2019 and 2021. The alleged payments included luxury items from Louis Vuitton and Hublot, cash, and other valuables to at least three PEMEX and PEP officials. In return, the officials are said to have taken steps to ensure companies linked to Rovirosa won and retained contracts worth more than $2.5 million.

Court filings also suggest Rovirosa has ties to Mexican cartel members. Both men, who are Mexican citizens and US lawful permanent residents, face one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and three substantive FCPA violations. Each count carries a potential maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division emphasised that the charges send a “clear message” that foreign nationals cannot use bribery to distort fair competition for personal profit.

Rovirosa has been arraigned following his arrest, while Avila remains a fugitive. The case is being investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, with support from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.

The prosecution is led by Trial Attorneys Lindsey D Carson, Abdus Samad Pardesi, and Paul G Ream of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, alongside Assistant US Attorney Brad Gray for the Southern District of Texas.

The Fraud Section continues to lead the Justice Department’s enforcement of the FCPA and the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA), targeting cross-border corruption that undermines fair market competition.

Read the press release here.