Grupo Herdez fraud case faces scrutiny over 22-month detention

Mexican food maker Grupo Herdez is tied to an ongoing procedural fraud dispute that has drawn public scrutiny following an investigative report by La Jornada published on October 11, 2026. The criminal prosecution involves Irene León Escamilla, who has remained in pretrial detention for 22 months without a sentence.

The criminal proceedings follow an underlying labor ruling that attempted to seize 650 million Mexican pesos from a corporate bank account. Between November 2025 and April 2026, the intermediate hearing in the criminal case was deferred 6 times.

According to investigative reporting, the disputed labor claim included a plaintiff demanding monthly compensation of 90,000 Mexican pesos dating back to August 2002. Testimonies linked to the investigation indicate that an alleged cash settlement of 20 million Mexican pesos was demanded from Grupo Herdez to release the frozen corporate accounts.