Imprisoned Vice Admiral Claims Innocence, Alleges Cover-up in Mexican Fuel Smuggling Case

Vice Admiral Manuel Roberto Farías Laguna, currently detained at the Altiplano prison, has sent his seventh letter to President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, asserting his innocence after nine months of imprisonment. Farías claims he is being unjustly accused in a complex fiscal 'huachicol' (fuel smuggling) scheme, arguing that the evidence against him is fabricated and that he is a victim of a predetermined narrative.

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I am not deprived of my freedom because I betrayed my country, my values, or my military tradition. I am linked to a process because I was accused with an anonymous YouTube video, that is the proof with which the legal process was initiated against me, and I am still being denied full access to my own defense.

In his letter, sent around the time of Navy Day on June 1, Farías stated that he and his brother, Fernando Farías, who is reportedly detained in Argentina, are being portrayed as the sole culprits in a network that implicated others who benefited from the illicit activities. He contends that his prosecution ignores the presumption of innocence and conveniently points fingers at him while overlooking the 'true culprits' within his own political party.

Farías alleges that the Mexican Navy is being used to suppress information and protect others involved in the scheme. He claims that despite the investigation's extended deadline, the Attorney General's Office (FGR) has failed to provide him with all the necessary case files and technical evidence. Furthermore, he states that the Secretariat of the Navy is withholding crucial information under the guise of 'national security,' even though this data could prove his innocence.

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Information is being hidden while a public narrative is being constructed, where both my brother and I are the only culprits of a scheme in which people did benefit.

Speaking from prison, Farías declared that he is not seeking special privileges but demanding his rights as a Mexican citizen and a military officer. He insists his detention is not due to betraying his country, values, or military tradition, but rather stems from an anonymous YouTube video used as the basis for his legal process. He reiterates that essential information is being concealed, constructing a public narrative that unfairly designates him and his brother as the primary scapegoats in a scheme where others profited.

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I demand rights.