The Supreme Court of Justice is reviewing an appeal filed by the defense of Luis Enrique Cucalón and Cristóbal Salerno. Previously, in 2018, the same court found Cucalón criminally responsible for embezzlement and corruption of public servants, sentencing him to 96 months in prison, and validated a 48-month plea deal for Salerno, which was later converted into a fine. This relates to irregularities in the collection of delinquent taxes by Cobranzas del Istmo. The court ordered Cucalón, Salerno, and Cobranzas del Istmo to pay $4.4 million for harming state funds through negligent handling of public resources under a 2010 contract. An audit revealed serious irregularities, including withheld collections and improper commission payments. Salerno agreed to return $20.6 million, which was insufficient to cover the losses. In September 2024, Cucalón and Salerno were sentenced to 100 months in prison for money laundering. The seizure of accounts linked to Cucalón recovered $6.6 million, leading to a final balance of $4.4 million with interest.
