The situation of Alfonso Romo Garza represents one of the most significant blows to the inner circle of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration. What began as an administrative investigation into Vector Casa de Bolsa has escalated to an arrest that, according to sources close to the process, has resulted in a cooperation agreement with the United States Department of Justice.
The Vector scheme: U.S. authorities link Romo’s brokerage firm to a money laundering network involving both former Mexican officials currently facing charges (such as García Luna) and opaque financing structures.
The protected witness status: Under U.S. federal law, this status means that the former official is providing testimonial and documentary evidence in exchange for procedural benefits. This suggests that U.S. investigations are now targeting higher levels of the political and economic hierarchy in Mexico. Institutional isolation: After leaving the cabinet in 2020, Romo remained an external liaison, but the 2025 financial sanctions ultimately stifled his business structure, forcing him into a position of legal vulnerability vis-à-vis the authorities in Washington.
Romo’s testimony is relevant not only because of his role as former Chief of Staff to the President, but also because of his in-depth knowledge of the capital flows that connect the private sector to the flagship projects and power structures of the previous administration. His arrest marks the end of the “diplomatic immunity” enjoyed by the Mexican political elite from scrutiny by the U.S. Treasury.
Source: diariobonampak
