When a world-famous boxing champion’s business empire is dragged into a cartel money laundering investigation and the Mexican military is accused of fueling the operation with taxpayer money, you have to wonder: how deep does the rot go?
At a Glance
- Business partner of boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez accused of laundering money for the deadly CJNG cartel through his fuel companies.
- U.S. Treasury previously sanctioned this partner for links to another cartel, yet he remained involved in high-profile business ventures.
- Mexican military accused of buying stolen fuel for a major airport project from a company tied to this same partner; government denies wrongdoing.
- Canelo Alvarez’s brand faces reputational risk, but he’s stayed silent while media scrutiny intensifies.
- Authorities in both Mexico and the U.S. are now investigating potential criminal infiltration of legitimate businesses tied to celebrities.
Boxing, Business, and Cartels: A Recipe for Scandal
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, whose fists built a global brand, now faces the kind of blow no championship belt can deflect: his business world is under fire, thanks to a partner accused of using legitimate fuel businesses to launder cash for the Jalisco Nueva Generacion Cartel (CJNG)—the most bloodthirsty syndicate south of the border. It’s the kind of story that could only unfold in a climate where government oversight is a punchline and cartels treat the law like a speed bump.
The immediate spark was the arrest of fellow boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by ICE, over alleged Sinaloa Cartel ties. That set off a media chain reaction, shining a spotlight on Canelo’s own circle—specifically, his partnership with Eric Daniel Zamora Delgadillo. Delgadillo’s resume? Accused of masterminding fuel theft (“huachicol”) and laundering dirty money for CJNG, he’s already appeared on the U.S. Treasury’s OFAC blacklist for running a front company linked to cartel finances. Yet somehow, he waltzed right back into big business—this time as the face behind Canelo’s gas station empire, Upper by Canelo Energy.
Military Money and Cartel Gas: An Airport Scandal
Just when you thought this couldn’t get more farcical, the Mexican Ministry of Defense (DEFENSA) was accused by Reforma of purchasing millions of dollars in fuel for the new Felipe Ángeles International Airport from Ecocarburante—a company run by none other than Delgadillo. That’s right, the military allegedly poured public funds into the very hands that the U.S. says are laundering cartel cash. DEFENSA’s denial was swift and predictably bureaucratic: audits were clean, contracts were legal, and nothing to see here, folks.
The military’s line? A wall of paperwork and legalese, promising everything was above board. But in a country where “audit” and “legal” mean about as much as “ethics” in a congressional spending bill, the public isn’t buying it. The scandal has fueled a fresh wave of cynicism about government accountability, especially when the foxes are guarding the henhouse and the taxpayers are left footing the bill for their own victimization.
Canelo’s Silence, Media Frenzy, and the Real Cost
While Canelo Alvarez’s business faces a full-court press from the media, the champ has stayed on the ropes, refusing to comment. His brand—a symbol of Mexican pride and entrepreneurial grit—is now tangled in a narrative that reads like a narco-thriller. The stakes are enormous: sponsorships, partnerships, and the trust of millions hang in the balance.
Investigative outlets like Borderland Beat and Reforma aren’t letting go. They’ve documented years of cartel infiltration into everything from soccer clubs to gas stations, exposing how Mexico’s most powerful criminals use celebrities and legitimate businesses to launder mountains of dirty cash. The U.S. Treasury’s own sanctions list is a testament to just how routine this has become. But as always, it’s the honest citizen who pays the highest price—watching their heroes fall, their government excuse itself, and their country’s institutions buckle under the weight of corruption.
The Pattern: Cartel Money, Celebrity Business, and Government Excuses
This story is more than a celebrity scandal. It’s a case study in how cartels exploit the intersection of fame, business, and government weakness. Delgadillo’s trajectory—sanctioned by the U.S., then reborn as the business brains behind a sports superstar’s retail empire—shows how easy it is for criminal influence to slip through the cracks. Meanwhile, politicians and bureaucrats go through the motions, pretending that the system works, while cartels write the real rules.
Experts point out that Mexico’s fuel sector is practically designed for laundering and theft, with huachicol operations thriving thanks to rampant corruption and laughable oversight. Every fresh scandal, every new “audit,” is a reminder that until the government stops protecting its own incompetence and starts protecting its citizens, the cycle will repeat.
