Overview
- Mexico’s president named Héctor Alonso Romero Gutiérrez to head the National Customs Agency on Wednesday, following Rafael Marín Mollinedo’s move to a federal delegate post in Yucatán that is still being defined.
- Sheinbaum said the handover was pre-agreed for roughly one year of service and not political, praising Marín’s 2025 results as ANAM-reported customs income rose about 25% from 1.0 to 1.25 trillion pesos.
- Romero comes from the government’s digital transformation arm with experience in energy finance and public tech projects, and his brief centers on full process digitalization and stronger revenue collection across ports and land crossings.
- Unresolved watchdog concerns trail the transition as official tallies show zero fuel seizures at maritime customs from 2022 to 2025 and media reports allege gaps in Marín’s 2025 asset disclosures.
- Trade groups say stricter 2025 rules slowed shipments and raised costs, and ANAM’s February 2026 take fell 16.8% year over year, which puts pressure on the new chief to speed clearance with technology while holding the line on fraud.