Joaquín Xuffi Cárdenas, undersecretary of planning, economy, and social infrastructure for the state government, is one of the largest white-collar gangsters.
The former PRI member, now a Morena member, controls the internal politics of Villa de Baca, where he installed Freddy Basto Basto as mayor.
However, the mayor is only an official figurehead, as Xuffi Cárdenas is the one who pulls the strings of municipal government.
One of his main operatives in the municipality is José Julián Baas Puch, director of the municipal land registry, the agency that manages the municipality’s assets.
Fredy and Joaquín had agreed to alternate the presidential seat, so in 2027, Xuffi Cárdenas would run for mayor, which, according to the structure, he would win. However, plans changed due to the non-reelection law promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum, which eliminates reelection.
Xuffi Cárdenas himself told his inner circle that he was not interested in the mayoralty because he earns much more in Joaquín Díaz Mena’s cabinet.
In the municipality, located 18 kilometers from Mérida, Xuffi Cárdenas is one of the wealthiest families.
They own ranches, land, houses, luxury vehicles, and businesses in Mérida, including auto parts stores.
The undersecretary has a dark history of corruption. During his municipal administration, from 2015 to 2018, he was accused by the State Audit Office, headed by Mario Can Marín, of embezzling just over 4 million pesos. A complaint was even filed with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, but the case was put on ice.
From 2018 to 2021, he was part of Mayor Wiliam Pérez Cabrera’s mafia network, where they managed to divert tens of millions of pesos from the Kanasín treasury.
William Pérez appointed him director of the land registry, but he controlled the operations of various municipal agencies.
Through the company Roga Constructora, S.A. DE C.V., owned by Alejandra Romero Gamboa, the funds were triangulated into phantom projects or projects with overruns.
According to investigations by Sol Yucatán, Xuffi Cárdenas has set up an accounting and tax firm, through which he falsifies the accounts of various mayors by selling invoices.
His clients include Baca, Mocochá, Dzemul, and Muxupip, among others.
Source: solyucatan
