During the World Cup, Mexico City International Airport is expected to handle an additional 5.5 million passengers. However, investigations reveal that two companies providing security at the airport have connections to individuals suspected of supplying weapons to drug cartels.
According to a report by Mexicans Against Corruption and Impunity (MCCI), the firms SERPROSEP SA de CV and Armour King SA de CV secured three-year contracts for airport security last year. Corporate documents from 2022 list Jorge Enrique Alberts Ponce and Alfonso Sainz de la Maza Zúñiga as co-owners of SERPROSEP.
Alberts is the subject of a federal arrest warrant issued in November 2025, while Sainz de la Maza is identified as an associate in the investigation. Authorities do not have a warrant for Sainz de la Maza.
Attempts to verify current ownership have been hindered by Mexico’s outdated online corporate registry, which does not require companies to update their records digitally. Journalists would need to hire a lawyer to access physical documents through notaries.
A SERPROSEP spokesperson stated that current shareholders have no ties to Alberts or Sainz de la Maza, but declined to provide documentation proving this claim. The company insisted it has fully complied with all legal obligations under its airport contract.
Records also show Alberts was an authorized representative for Armour King, and Sainz de la Maza was listed as a commissioner in its 2019 incorporation documents. Neither individual nor Armour King responded to requests for comment.
The arrest warrant, verified by matching Alberts’ national identification code in both the warrant and corporate documents, charges him with organized crime related to hydrocarbon theft and firearms trafficking. Prosecutors allege he used five companies to funnel guns to criminal organizations, including drug cartels, in coordination with Sandalio Sainz de la Maza and others.
Tapped phone calls cited in the warrant suggest Alberts directed the trafficking of firearms, with customers including a leader of the Gulf Cartel. The airport authority stated it was unaware of the connections between the companies or the arrest warrant, adding that contract decisions were based on available information at the time.