Mexican Court Orders Arrest of Former Head of State Petroleum Company Pemex

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - A federal court in Mexico issued a warrant for the arrest of Emilio Lozoya, the former head of the state petroleum company Pemex on corruption charges, the Notimex state news agency reported, citing sources in the country's Prosecutor General’s Office.

The court also issued an order to arrest the head of the steel company Altos Hornos de Mexico (AHMSA) Alonso Elizondo, who was detained on Tuesday in Spain, the agency said.

Earlier, the Mexican authorities blocked the accounts of Lozoya, his sister and Elizondo, which is considered to be linked to them.

READ MORE: Pemex Pipeline Explodes in Southern Mexico — Reports

Santiago Nieto, head of financial intelligence at the Mexican Finance Ministry, said that Lozoya was allegedly involved in corruption activities while he was in charge of PEMEX during the rule of former President Enrique Pena Nieto. According to investigators, Pemex bought a fertilizer plant from AHMSA in 2014 for about $ 500 million, while, according to the current authorities, its value did not exceed $50 million.