Maya Train Derailment Sparks Criminal Complaint

Cancún, MX — A criminal complaint against Javier May Rodríguez, the former head of the National Fund for Tourism Development (FONATUR), was filed with the Attorney General's Office by federal deputy Ernesto Sánchez Rodríguez, local legislator Reyna Tamayo, and Senator Mayuli Martínez. The complaint follows the derailment of a Maya Train car that occurred two weeks ago.

In a statement, the opposition legislators indicated that May could face legal responsibilities stemming from the supervision and management of the project, considering that the incident, which took place at the Izamal station, caused both material and operational damages.

"The complaint we are filing has to do with criminal sanctions against those who have plundered public funds, purchased low-quality materials, and have not supervised the Maya Train project with integrity," said Ernesto Sánchez.

In this sense, the deputy explained that there are indications this project was carried out with corruption, allegedly awarding contracts to friends of the sons of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Furthermore, the legislator highlighted contractual irregularities detected in contracts TM-TRAMO3/20-OI-03 and PTM TRAMO3/23-OI-04, which allegedly resulted in improper payments and overcosts exceeding 155 million pesos. These actions are said to constitute the crimes of illicit use of authority and powers and fraudulent administration in public contracts, as defined in Articles 217, Section I, and 222 of the Federal Penal Code, in correlation with Articles 53 and 54 of the Law on Public Works and Related Services.

The deputy stated that this constitutes an application of public resources to the detriment of the Federal Treasury, representing an irregular and willful handling that undermines the correct administration of public patrimony.

He also specified that the Superior Audit Office of the Federation observed additional improper payments for amounts corresponding to 10 million 102 thousand 400 pesos for perimeter fencing that was either not installed or overvalued, 461 thousand 541.89 pesos for differences in metallic structures, and 140 thousand 461.54 pesos for arithmetic errors in financing calculations.

The PAN member emphasized that these findings are not limited to accounting issues and are indications of administrative and contractual acts that allegedly contributed directly to the lack of quality in the works, as well as a lack of supervision by FONATUR through its successive heads Rogelio Jiménez Pons, Javier May Rodríguez, Lydia Quiroz Zavala, and Sebastián Ramírez Mendoza, compounded by omissions from the company Tren Maya, S.A. de C.V., currently headed by Óscar David Lozano Águila.

Finally, the PAN member asserted that the Maya Train accumulated operational losses of 5,807 million pesos between December 2023 and June 2025, with a daily subsidy of 12 million pesos from the treasury to sustain its operation.

"For every peso collected, the Federal Government had to allocate 108 pesos in subsidies, which reveals not only technical deficiencies but also structural economic unviability," stated the legislator.