On August 9, 2019, Mexican President Andrés Manuel
López Obrador passed legislation that added corruption to
the catalogue of criminal conduct subject to asset forfeiture
proceedings. Mexico's new Ley Nacional de Extinción
de Dominio (Asset Forfeiture Law), in conjunction with
harmonizing amendments to the Código Nacional de
Procedimientos Penales (National Code of Civil Procedure),
empowers the Mexican government to seize from corrupt private
individuals and companies any assets acquired illicitly, used in
furtherance of illicit activity, or in respect of which good title
cannot be evidenced. Just recently, a Special Forfeiture Unit in
the Fiscalía General de la República (the
Attorney's General Office) was established to investigate and
bring asset forfeiture cases.
