Alejandro Irarragorri, president of Grupo Orlegi and owner of the Santos Laguna and Atlas clubs in Mexico, faces an arrest warrant issued by a federal judge in connection with an alleged case of tax fraud in excess of 17 million Mexican pesos (approximately US$970,000 at current exchange rates).
According to reports from national media such as Reforma and El Universal, the situation originated when Irarragorri failed to physically appear at a court hearing scheduled for March 24, 2025 at the Federal Criminal Justice Center in Torreón. The control judge, Karla Cecilia Marín, declared him “evaded justice” after his non-appearance, ordering his immediate capture. Previously, Irarragorri had appeared by videoconference on March 20, however, the judge considered his physical presence indispensable, something that his legal team questions due to alleged violations to due process.
Defense of Irarragorri
Through an official statement, Club Santos Laguna described the process as an “undue judicialization” of a purely administrative or tax interpretation matter.
The club assured that Alejandro Irarragorri was not duly notified of the need to attend in person, which, according to them, nullifies the validity of the arrest warrant.
This is an alleged case of tax evasion
QueOnnda.com
They also pointed out that the March 20 hearing was abruptly suspended by the judge.
And that the new subpoena for March 24 was issued without respecting the procedural deadlines guaranteed by Mexican law.
Alejandro Irarragorri’s lawyers have already filed an injunction to stop the execution of the order while the legality of the proceeding is being resolved.
Nature of the prosecution
Buzzy
The origin of the problem lies in alleged omissions in the payment of Income Tax (ISR).
This was derived from salaries of players and technical personnel of Club Santos Laguna, corresponding to the first half of 2017.
The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) accuses Alejandro Irarragorri of not complying with his tax obligations during that period.
His defense argues that this is an interpretative dispute that should be resolved in administrative and not criminal proceedings.
This case could have wide repercussions in Mexican soccer, considering the influence Grupo Orlegi has in the country’s sports industry.
For now, Alejandro Irarragorri’s legal situation continues to develop, while his defense tries to reverse the measures taken against him.
For more information, visit QueOnnda.com.
