Fayad government in Hidalgo awarded contracts for 23 mdp to a North-East Cartel operator; acquired medical equipment

The government of former governor Omar Fayad in the state of Hidalgo awarded contracts totaling over 23 million pesos to Inmedicen, S.A. de C.V., a company linked to Justo Aurelio Rivera Parrazales, a suspected financial operator of the Cartel del Noreste. Rivera was arrested last weekend in Mérida, Yucatán, during raids conducted by the Mexican Navy. Authorities identified him as one of the key figures behind money-laundering schemes associated with the cartel. During these operations, authorities seized 15 high-end vehicles, firearms, ammunition, methamphetamine, and other items valued at 145 million pesos. According to documents reviewed by El Universal in the Public Registry of Commerce, Rivera Parrazales founded Inmedicen, S.A. de C.V. in July 2015 in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. Initially, he owned half of the company's shares and was appointed sole administrator. However, on February 26, 2019, an assembly record filed with the Public Registry of Commerce noted that Rivera Parrazales resigned from his position and relinquished his authority within the firm. Despite this, a contract signed by the Health Secretariat of Hidalgo in December 2019 listed him as the legal representative of Inmedicen. In January 2019, the Health Secretariat of Hidalgo awarded Inmedicen a contract worth 255,200 pesos through a public bidding process for the acquisition of medical and laboratory equipment intended for the construction and equipping of the Integral Hospital in Zimapán. A second agreement, obtained via another public tender, was signed in December 2019 for 21,716,320 pesos for the purchase of medical and laboratory equipment destined for hospitals in Tula, Valle del Mezquital, Ixmiquilpan, Huichapan, Otomí Tepehua, Integral Atlapexco, Pachuca, Actopan, Huehuetla, among others. A third contract was formalized on July 2, 2020, under the modality of direct assignment due to the health emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic. This agreement amounted to 1,276,000 pesos and aimed to provide medical equipment to the 50-bed Montable Immediate Response Hospital in Actopan. The document was signed by Jorge Herrera Simuta on behalf of Inmedicen. A fourth agreement was reached on July 7, 2020, also through direct assignment due to the pandemic exception, for a value of 330,600 pesos. Like the previous contract, its purpose was the purchase of medical and laboratory equipment for the same hospital in Actopan. Again, Jorge Herrera Simuta appeared as the legal representative of the company. Reviewing records available on the website of the Health Secretariat of Hidalgo, El Universal confirmed that in 2018, the agency awarded Inmedicen three additional tenders for the acquisition and maintenance of medical and laboratory equipment. Under the tender EH-SSH-N168-2018, two lots were assigned to the company for a total value of 15,041,720 pesos. In the tender EH-SSH-N134-2018, an amount of 4,872,000 pesos was allocated, and in the tender EH-SSH-N114-2018, 42,500,000 pesos was awarded. These contracts raise questions about the transparency and integrity of procurement processes during the administration of Omar Fayad in Hidalgo. The involvement of a known criminal figure in such agreements suggests potential irregularities in how public funds were managed. Investigations into these matters are ongoing, and officials have been asked to comment on the implications of these findings. Authorities have not yet released detailed statements regarding the nature of the relationship between Rivera Parrazales and the Health Secretariat of Hidalgo during the period in question. Meanwhile, legal experts are examining whether the contracts could be subject to review based on current anti-corruption laws and regulations. The case has drawn attention from both local and national media, prompting calls for greater oversight of public spending in the healthcare sector. The Health Secretariat of Hidalgo has not responded to requests for clarification on the specific roles played by Rivera Parrazales and Jorge Herrera Simuta in the execution of the contracts. Legal proceedings against Rivera Parrazales continue, with prosecutors seeking to establish his level of involvement in the alleged money laundering activities attributed to the Cartel del Noreste. His arrest marked a significant step in the broader investigation into organized crime networks operating in Mexico.