MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Interpol has at Mexico’s request issued an international arrest warrant for Miguel Aleman, co-founder of budget airline Interjet, on criminal tax fraud charges, according to government sources and Mexican media.
Last month, prosecutors issued a national arrest warrant for Aleman, the grandson of a former president and the son of an ex-governor of Veracruz state.
Prosecutors have requested the international red alert for Aleman, two government sources with knowledge of the matter confirmed to Reuters. Mexican broadcaster Milenio first reported the request.
Interpol could not be immediately reached for comment.
A spokesman for the airline declined to comment and a lawyer for Aleman told Milenio that he did not understand why his client was wanted. He has said Aleman has been living in Paris since early January.
Prosecutors have been seeking Aleman’s detention as part of a tax fraud investigation, according to local media.
It is one of the first times a prominent Mexican business leader has been targeted by authorities under a law enacted last year that treats tax fraud as a serious crime.
Interjet hopes to strike a deal with creditors within a year so it can restart operations after it shut down during the coronavirus pandemic in December. It was already in financial trouble before the pandemic.
(Reporting by Diego Ore and Sharay Angulo; Editing by Peter Cooney)
