Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Former Quintana Roo Governor Roberto Borge Angulo, recently acquitted on organized crime charges, is now seeking to reclaim state-owned properties that were illegally transferred during his administration. However, he must first overcome an active money laundering case that implicates his closest relatives.
Court documents reviewed by Sol Quintana Roo reveal a complex scheme in which Borge’s parents — Roberto Borge Martín and María Rosa Yolanda Angulo Castilla — played key roles in acquiring 22 high-value properties at below-market prices through the state’s Institute of Real Estate Assets (IPAE) and shell companies.
According to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (FGR), Borge is charged under Article 400 bis of the Federal Criminal Code for acquiring 22 IPAE-owned properties through irregular processes, knowing they were proceeds of illegal activity.
“They were responsible for executing the contracts, others handled all the procedures within IPAE to obtain properties at prices far below market value. Once acquired, the properties were transferred to shell companies or irregularly constituted firms, facilitating money laundering,” the FGR stated in its indictment.
The scheme caused patrimonial damage exceeding 900 million pesos (approximately $45 million USD) to the state of Quintana Roo.
“Properties were sold at prices far below their real market value to friends and family, with 22 final property titles issued. Shell companies were then formed to conceal the illicit origin of the assets,” the indictment reads.
Properties Seized Under Mother’s Name
Despite the allegations, 15 properties remain registered under María Rosa Yolanda Angulo Castilla’s name. These prime lots are located on Cozumel Island, according to recent checks of the Quintana Roo Public Property Registry.
The properties were transferred by IPAE between 2010 and 2016, primarily when Claudia Romanillos Villanueva headed the agency. Some were sold, while others were transferred at no cost, with no mention of donation.
One example is a 4.4-hectare lot on Cozumel’s southern coastal road, transferred by IPAE with a property title but no specified price, suggesting it was given away for free.
All 15 properties are currently under dual seizure — one ordered by the Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office and another by the FGR. The liens are registered to prevent sale while the investigation continues.
Borge remains incarcerated at the Cuautla prison in Morelos state, awaiting proceedings on the money laundering charge, after being acquitted of organized crime.
