AT&T case reaches critical stage as draft New York order explicitly threatens jail time for Grupo Salinas executives over alleged defiance of court rulings
In the intensifying legal battle between AT&T Mobility Holdings B.V. and entities tied to Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego, a proposed order filed by the Supreme Court of the State of New York has sent a stark message: Salinas could face fines, imprisonment, or both if held in contempt.
According to the draft document, now before the court in Manhattan:
“NOTICE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS HEARING IS TO PUNISH THE ACCUSED FOR A CONTEMPT OF COURT, AND THAT PUNISHMENT MAY CONSIST OF FINE, IMPRISONMENT, OR BOTH, ACCORDING TO LAW.”
The proposed order commands Salinas and Francisco Borrego, another top Grupo Salinas executive, to personally appear before the court on July 25, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. EDT. Failure to do so, it warns, could result in immediate arrest and incarceration.
Why this matters for Grupo Salinas
This stems from contempt motions which accuse Salinas, Borrego, Grupo Elektra, and Banco Azteca of purposely violating previous court orders in the enforcement of multimillion-dollar judgments linked to a 2015 telecom transaction.
Though still pending judicial signature, the language of this proposed order highlights just how close the case is to crossing from financial penalties into personal liberty consequences—an escalation rarely seen in cross-border corporate disputes involving Latin American conglomerates. But it’s not shocking to legal observers, because Salinas has been accused of wrong doing for decades.
Wider impact on Grupo Elektra and Banco Azteca
Grupo Elektra and Banco Azteca, flagship businesses in Salinas’s empire, already face mounting scrutiny in Mexico over separate tax and compliance issues. Analysts warn that this new threat of actual imprisonment for contempt in the U.S. could dramatically alter the risk outlook for investors, creditors, and institutional partners with exposure to Salinas-controlled entities. But what the court order will finally do, is bring to justice a rogue individual long accused of fraud and contempt of court.
Justicia Empresarial calls on financial institutions, corporate boards, and market regulators to monitor these developments with heightened due diligence, as they may set precedents for how courts in the United States pursue foreign corporate officers who defy judicial U.S. mandates.
Hearing is scheduled for 25th July, 2025.
As one observer noted: “Criminals can escape justice for so long, until justice will catch up to you.”
Question remains, will Ricardo Salinas finally be ordered to be imprisoned?
Sources:
Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York – Index No. 650330/2020
(Case details accessible via the New York State Unified Court System eCourts portal)
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