Who Is Nico, The Driver Of AMLO To Whom The Sinaloa Cartel Allegedly Delivered 2 Million Dollars For His Campaign In 2006?

Mica for cartelinsider.com

A publication by ProPublica has revealed that operators of the Sinaloa Cartel injected at least 2 million dollars into the campaign of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in 2006, seeking favors for their criminal operations in case the “tabasqueño” won. Although it could not be proven that AMLO was aware of these contributions, evidence shows that Nicolas Mollinedo Bastar, a close associate of the current Head of State, was involved.

“Nico,” as he is known to those who are part of the inner circle of the leader of the Fourth Transformation, became famous in his time because he was the driver of the iconic tsuru in which the President used to travel until a few years ago.

However, some journalists like Carlos Loret de Mola have pointed out that being AMLO’s driver was merely a facade that allowed him to carry out his true role: one in which he always sought to benefit the Tabasco leader.

According to the research of Tim Golden, when Roberto Lopez Najera, a lawyer who had represented Edgar Valdez Villarreal, alias “La Barbie”, was arrested by DEA agents, he provided a detailed account of cash donations from drug traffickers, which he said he helped deliver.

According to the story, Nicolás Mollinedo Bastar played a significant role in negotiating with drug traffickers, including Édgar Valdez Villarreal, nicknamed “La Barbie”. The publication mentions that “Nico” was involved in receiving monetary donations for the campaign, totaling 2 million dollars.

Nájera secretly recorded conversations with Nicolás Mollinedo Bastar in which he discussed his involvement in the scheme, however, some authorities deemed the evidence not solid enough to justify the risks of a large-scale covert operation in Mexico and the topic was dropped.

The investigation did not establish whether AMLO approved or even knew about the donations reported by drug traffickers, however, this is not the first time that the name of Nicolás Mollinedo has come up when talking about corruption.

Nicolás Mollinedo Bastar served for 12 years as the right-hand man of the leader of the Morena party. During the presidential campaigns of 2006 and 2012, he was the head of logistics.

According to information that has been documented for many years, one of the biggest scandals that Mollinedo has been involved in is that it was revealed that this character received a monthly salary of 63 thousand pesos, which was a stain on AMLO’s administration when he was the head of government of Mexico City, as his friend was earning as a subsecretary.

But the story didn’t end there. After driving AMLO’s car, which at the time was a white Tsuru, in 2015 Mollinedo obtained a position as Director of Collection and Treatment of Solid Waste in the former Cuauhtémoc borough, when Ricardo Monreal was the delegate.

In 2021, Mollinedo formally entered politics with the Más por México movement, which he sought to integrate as a political party.

Currently, “Nico” defines himself as a businessman, lover of charrería (Mexican rodeo), horses, classic and sports cars, as well as a big fan of baseball, “always following the latest results and statistics of the Mexican Baseball League (LMB),” as indicated on his website, where he has a biography.

“Nico” continues to be a faithful advocate of the Fourth Transformation and his son, Samuel Mollinedo, is a council member in the municipality of Benito Juárez, Quintana Roo.

Another character close to “Nico” is Rafael Fernando Marin Mollinedo, his cousin, who currently serves as Mexico’s permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO), was personally appointed to the position by AMLO.

A few months ago, LatinUs exposed how the Mollinedo Bastar family significantly benefited after the announcement of the Tren Maya project in October 2018.

Nicolás, Samuel and Isaac, sons of the former presidential driver, have acquired 64 hectares in Quintana Roo, positioning themselves as important landowners in an area that is now highly valued due to its proximity to the Tulum station, a key point in the mentioned railway project.

These lands, currently home to the tourist park of Sac Actun, in front of Tulum station, promise to become a prominent tourist destination by integrating cenotes, food areas and various services for visitors, including scuba diving activities. The park’s administration is under the responsibility of Sac Actun Ecological Preservation S.A. de C.V., a company connected to Lydia Esther Portilla Mánica, ex-wife of Nicolás, and Jorge Alberto Portilla Mánica, who serves as secretary general of the Tulum City council.

The acquisition of the land by the family was made through a donation from César Augusto Mánica Portilla, uncle of the beneficiaries, a few months after the official announcement about the construction of the Tren Maya. With the momentum of this mega-project, it is expected that tourism in the region will experience significant growth, going from two million to over five million tourists per year once the project is completed. This outlook feeds expectations of a considerable increase in property values in the area, including the property in question, which currently has a value of four million pesos, but is anticipated to increase exponentially.

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Mica

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