Mexico: Imprisoned admiral claims innocence in eighth letter to president

Vice Admiral Manuel Roberto Farías Laguna, currently imprisoned in Mexico, has penned his eighth letter to President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, asserting that his right to the presumption of innocence is being violated. Farías argues that the lack of access to information regarding his case creates a "corrupting effect" on the judicial process.

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If you do not have information about my case, the right to the presumption of innocence is violated, which generates a 'corrupting effect' on the judicial process.

In the letter dated July 4, 2026, Farías Laguna details his situation and alleges violations of due process, the right to adequate defense, and obstruction of justice. He specifically questions the validity of the evidence presented against him, which includes an anonymous YouTube video lacking chain of custody and metadata, as well as statements from third-party witnesses. Farías suggests these testimonies are intended to secure a "criterion of opportunity" for the witnesses.

Farías claims he requested investigative acts from the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) on November 7, 2025, to prove he did not hold positions within Semar related to customs or the national customs agency. He asserts this information is vital to counter the accusations against him.

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The evidence that accuses me is an anonymous YouTube video that has no chain of custody or metadata, as well as mentions by third parties in statements from a collaborating witness.

Furthermore, he alleges that Semar has threatened personnel to obtain statements implicating him, using their careers and potential dismissals as leverage. Farías finds it "atypical, incoherent, and illegal" that Semar is unilaterally withholding information he requires for his defense, citing national security reasons without judicial reconciliation and bypassing the Attorney General's Office. He contrasts his treatment with that of other public servants who, he claims, are afforded greater guarantees of innocence and protection.

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Is it not strange to you that all the information I have requested for my defense, the Navy unilaterally seeks to reserve it for National Security reasons without any judicial conciliation and bypassing the Attorney General's Office?

Farías, a Vice Admiral with over 33 years of service in the Mexican Navy, states he was not summoned to present his version of events. Instead, he was linked to the process, deprived of his liberty, and publicly displayed on national television from the National Palace as the leader of a fuel smuggling organization. He questions this disparity in treatment, emphasizing his long service record and the lack of legal provisions to strip him of his rank without due process.

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The treatment I am receiving is atypical, incoherent, and also illegal, especially since there are other Mexican citizens, public servants, to whom the Mexican state represented by you does grant guarantees and protection of the presumption of innocence.