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Appeals Court Orders 2013 Ixtapa Mansion Tied to Lozoya Case Forfeited to Mexican State

The unanimous ruling advances Mexico’s asset-recovery push in the Odebrecht fallout.

Overview

  • A federal appeals panel unanimously revoked an April 2025 denial and ordered the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo property transferred to the Federation, adopting a proposal by Magistrate Karina Barrera Ortiz.
  • Prosecutors pursued civil forfeiture under extinción de dominio by arguing the home was bought with resources linked to the Odebrecht case, a civil process that assesses lawful origin of funds and runs separately from criminal proceedings.
  • The earlier trial judge, Esperanza Arias Vázquez, had found the 2019 asset-forfeiture law inapplicable because the purchase predated a 2017 investigation, a position the appellate court rejected.
  • Judicial records state Marielle Helene Eckes acquired the Quinta Mar residence via trust on July 31, 2013, for $1.9 million; the 3,578-square-meter property has been under FGR seizure since 2019.
  • Related asset cases continue, including Lozoya’s Lomas de Bezares home, which a second-instance court ordered forfeited in 2024 and which remains under review in a pending direct amparo.