Ex TV Host Ines Gomez Held in Miami

Ines Gomez Mont, a former television host, is currently held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Miami, Florida. The capture occurred on October 30, 2026, following a formal exchange of information between the governments of Mexico and the United States. Gomez was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and remains at the disposal of those federal authorities.

Mexican federal prosecutors issued an active arrest warrant for Gomez on June 20, 2023. The warrant was signed by the Special Prosecutor's Office for Investigating Relevant Matters. It charges her with equivalent tax fraud. The General Attorney's Office of Mexico confirmed the detention via social media, noting that she is likely participating in the alleged scheme.

Gomez has been out of Mexico since September 2021, when her legal case first became public. She is accused of participating in a scheme to divert public resources, simulate contracts, and launder money. The investigation identifies her and her husband, Victor Manuel Alvarez Puga, as the primary figures in the organization. Alvarez Puga was detained in 2025.

The alleged criminal network utilized shell companies and digital tax receipts to fake commercial activities. According to prosecutors, the group signed two contracts with federal social readaptation centers. These contracts were valued at 2.95 billion pesos. Public officials allegedly facilitated the illegal transfer of federal funds through these agreements.

In March 2025, the Financial Intelligence Unit ordered the removal of Gomez and Alvarez Puga from Mexico's blocked persons list. This judicial resolution allowed them to restore their financial services and access their resources in the country. On September 30, 2026, President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that Interpol had withdrawn the red notices for both individuals. She indicated that the Mexican government would request explanations and seek to reverse that decision.

The original investigation began in November 2019. The Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime opened a case against Gomez, Alvarez Puga, five other individuals, and seven companies. The suspects were charged with organized crime and operating with resources of illicit origin. A January 2022 report stated that the group colluded to simulate operations and lower tax burdens to hide the trail of the funds.

Prosecutors claimed that public servants, including five named officials, illegally facilitated the resources. The group operated using supposed representatives of legal entities to mask the fraudulent nature of the transactions. The FGR stated that they had obtained the corresponding arrest warrants for those who fled the country and were awaiting international collaboration for their return.

Gomez and Alvarez Puga are associated with the alleged diversion of public funds. The scheme involved the use of invoicing companies and the simulation of contracts with the decentralized administrative body for prevention and social readaptation. The digital tax receipts used in the scheme appeared to show acts of commerce that did not actually occur. The goal was to disguise the crimes as legitimate gains.