Prosecutors Appeal Decision Not to Jail Ex-Official in Quintana Roo Corruption Case

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — The state anticorruption prosecutor’s office has appealed a judge’s decision not to jail Claudia Romanillos Villanueva, the former head of the Institute for the Promotion and Economic Development of Quintana Roo (IPAE), who was charged in December with embezzlement related to the auction of 22 state-owned properties.

The appeal, filed by the public prosecutor, remains pending before the Second Chamber of the Oral Criminal Justice System. According to a court document reviewed Monday, the appeal was admitted on April 27, 2026, and assigned case number 61/2026. No ruling has been issued yet.

Romanillos is one of several former officials implicated in a massive fraud against the state government during the administration of former Governor Roberto Borge, who was recently acquitted of organized crime charges. The case is considered one of the most significant corruption probes still active in Quintana Roo courts.

On March 13, Romanillos filed a federal amparo — a constitutional protection petition — against the December 1, 2025, indictment issued by a Chetumal control judge in case 159/2017. The First District Court, which received the amparo request, has asked the lower court for updates on the criminal proceedings.

The lower court judge informed the federal court that the prosecutor’s appeal challenges the very indictment that Romanillos is now seeking to overturn. The federal judge noted that the outcome of the appeal could affect the validity of the indictment.