Alejandro Gertz Manero, Mexico’s attorney general, resigned on Thursday following his nomination for a diplomatic position, concluding a tenure that began in 2019. The 86-year-old official informed the Senate in a letter that President Claudia Sheinbaum had selected him to serve as ambassador to an undisclosed “friendly nation.”
While Mexican law mandates a “serious cause” for an early resignation, Gertz pointed to the ambassadorship as his reason for leaving. Opposition legislators challenged this justification, asserting it fails to satisfy legal requirements and questioning why a diplomatic role should prompt departure from the nation’s highest prosecutorial authority.
His exit coincides with intensifying scrutiny over two significant probes: an investigation into a Tabasco security official with alleged ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and a maritime fuel-theft case revealing purported corruption involving Navy personnel.
The Senate, dominated by President Sheinbaum’s Morena party, ratified his resignation despite objections from opponents who characterized the move as politically motivated and potentially consolidating power within the Attorney General’s Office.
Prior to his departure, Gertz appointed Ernestina Godoy as Special Prosecutor for Competition Control, positioning her as interim attorney general and a likely contender for the permanent post.
Numerous high-profile cases remain unresolved, including investigations into the Ayotzinapa disappearance, the Odebrecht scandal, the “31 scientists” affair, the Rancho Izaguirre incident, and the La Estafa Maestra fraud case.