The Spanish government has authorized the extradition of Alonso Ancira, the former board president of Mexican steelmaker Altos Hornos de Mexico (AHMSA), according to a media report.
Ancira has been detained in Spain since May 2019 over corruption charges, as previously reported by SteelOrbis. Recently, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had also been investigating Ancira over money laundering charges. In Mexico, the former AHMSA executive has a pending money laundering charge, the media report said. Last year, Mexican authorities froze the banking accounts of Alonso Ancira. The asset freeze was then lifted.
Mexico’s AHMSA has been posting net losses for the past few years, and has defaulted supplier payments.
Despite being detained and then released in Spain, AHMSA re-appointed Ancira in February this year to “continue negotiations with companies interested in the acquisition (of AHMSA assets), a joint venture or any transaction that would improve AHMSA’s financial profile.”
He has been released from jail and is currently waiting for a court decision at home.