“Explosive Case Reopened: Barcos Caribe Linked to Former Governor”

Six years following a devastating explosion, the Superior Chamber of the Federal Administrative Justice Court (TFJA) has reopened the case involving Barcos Caribe. The company has been linked to former governor Roberto Borge and is currently in a dispute with the Federal Government over the removal of a maritime crossing concession.

The highest authority in administrative nullity trials has been handling the dispute since March 6. The disagreement is between Impulsora Marítima de Quintana Roo and the Caribbean, the commercial company that owns Barcos Caribe, and various federal agencies. The conflict arose over the termination of the federal crossing concession from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel.

According to administrative litigation file 707/22-20-01-8, the lawsuit was filed in the Caribbean and Auxiliary Chambers, in Cancun, on October 19, 2022. The entities named in the lawsuit include the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation and the Mexican Naval Secretariat.

Barcos Caribe began pursuing the case towards the end of last year. Initially, their request was denied on January 29. However, after lodging an appeal, the Superior Chamber decided to revisit the case. Barcos Caribe argued that their case had unique characteristics which warranted further examination.

A statement issued on Friday announced that the legal process was now regularized for resolution. The court officer attached to the Chamber has been instructed to reissue the notification of the agreement.

It has been six years since an explosion on a Barcos Caribe ship exposed a series of irregularities within the shipping company. Allegedly, the company was established with public funds by former governor Roberto Borge, who is currently incarcerated.

According to records from the Ministry of Economy of the Government of Mexico, Impulsora Marítima de Quintana Roo and the Caribbean was founded in 2012 in Cozumel. The company has been under investigation by state and federal authorities.