26 people caught in 'fake public official' trap in EdoMex, Mexico: 96 million pesos stolen from state treasury.

An investigation initiated in the State of Mexico (EdoMex) has uncovered a massive corruption network known as 'aviadores,' which has been ongoing for at least five years, following anomalies detected in the state's education budget. This network, in collaboration with former and current officials at various levels of public administration and civilians, misappropriated state resources by registering so-called teachers and public officials who did not exist or never started work in the system. As part of the investigation, 26 suspects have been linked to the process for prosecution, while five others have applied for 'amparo' (legal protection) to avoid arrest, in addition to other suspects for whom arrest warrants have been issued but whose legal processes are pending. The discovery of the case played a decisive role when the Secretariat of Education (SECTI) detected the appointment of 459 teachers who did not show up to work or perform any activity and filed a criminal complaint.

As the investigation deepens, it has been understood that the organized structure in question has been working systematically since 2021 and has spread to a wide network involving high-level authorities in critical ministries such as finance, education, and security. Examinations by the Prosecutor's Office show that former undersecretaries, general directors, administrative delegates, and managers at various levels of the bureaucracy conspired to commit crimes by creating personnel records without necessary documents or with incomplete paperwork, processing them into the payroll, and approving payments. It has been determined that in the process of creating this 'ghost personnel,' 'recruiters' within the organization persuaded people from their family members and close circles, used their identity information, and kept control over their bank accounts. Thanks to the state salary cards and passwords remaining under the control of the organization, salaries are regularly withdrawn, with only a small amount paid to the actual account holders while the large remaining share is distributed among the network's operators.

As a result of detailed investigations and financial audits, it has been revealed that this corruption network alone diverted over 96 million pesos (approximately 4.5 million dollars) from the state treasury between January 2025 and February 2026. This amount means the systematic theft of an average of 4 million pesos every 15 days, including additional rights such as annual bonuses, vacation premiums, and various benefits. Authorities have announced that the calculations made are just the beginning, and given the fact that the operation may date back to 2021, the total amount of damage is expected to increase significantly as the investigation progresses. The investigation, for which an administrative file of 30 volumes and approximately 12,000 pages has been created, has gone down in history as one of the biggest scandals in recent years in terms of the state's financial discipline and transparency in personnel recruitment.

Another detail that constitutes the dark side of the event is that some high-level bureaucrats involved in the corruption used not only the cash flow but also the positions of 'reliable' personnel in the system for their own interests. Investigators have determined that some individuals within the scope of the investigation assigned themselves high-salary teaching positions reaching up to 50 thousand pesos monthly and kept these positions active through various leaves and unlawful methods to maintain job security and hold them as an 'insurance,' even if they separated from their official duties. This situation reveals that the corruption was not limited to the theft of cash resources but also demonstrated how public personnel employment was completely detached from the principles of merit and competence. The Prosecutor's Office is proceeding with great caution against the risk of evidence being destroyed, and the investigation continues to expand to include new suspects and connections.

In conclusion, this incident that emerged in the State of Mexico (EdoMex) painfully demonstrates the uncontrolled nature of public resources and the deep decay created by bureaucratic oligarchs. The Toluca-centered investigation has not only brought the payroll gang called 'aviadores' to the agenda but also made the administrative laxity and lack of oversight that paved the way for such corruptions a matter of debate. The use of people's identity information without their consent and the state treasury being exposed to such a large opening strengthen the call for urgent radical reforms in the government's personnel recruitment and salary payment systems. It is seen that the only way to reassure the public conscience is not to be content with the embezzlement of over 96 million pesos, but to radically change the system and punish the responsible parties in the heaviest way possible. Once the investigation is completed, all members of this bureaucratic network are expected to be brought before the judiciary.