Mexico City, Mexico — Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has officially handed over the country’s customs to the Secretary of National Defense and the Navy.
On Tuesday, the decree making the handover of power official was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation. The publication expands powers of the Secretarías de la Defensa Nacional and the Marina, who will be in charge of Mexico’s customs.
The document signed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador nullifies the changes published in 2021 and expands the powers of the Secretarías de la Defensa Nacional and the Marina, who will be charged with ordering and carrying out acts of review, recognition and verification of merchandise in transport.
It also empowers the National Defense and the Navy to participate as Responsible Units in financial vehicles, such as public trusts, that are necessary for the operation of customs.
According to the decree published on May 24, both agencies are also able to participate with the Administration and Finance Unit, in the design, organization and implementation of training programs for personnel assigned to Customs, except in relation to the Customs Training Center. However, they are exempt of the legal interpretation of customs provisions in terms of customs services and customs clearance referred to in article 35 of the Customs Law.
They will also be allowed to collaborate with the General Directorate of Customs Investigation in the planning and organization of strategies that allow creating and implementing mechanisms and systems to prevent and combat illegal behaviors related to the entry and exit of merchandise from the national territory.
