Mexico alleges Luz del Mundo, 4 other groups laundered money
Mexican investigators say they have filed money-laundering complaints against five religious groups in Mexico, including the Luz del Mundo church whose leader is charged in the United States with child rapes
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Mexican investigators said Tuesday they have filed money-laundering complaints against five religious groups in Mexico including the Luz del Mundo church whose leader is charged in the United States with child rapes.
The announcement from the Financial Intelligence Unit did not identify the groups involved in the complaints. But an official, who insisted on anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on pending cases, said Luz del Mundo was among the five.
The unit said reviews of the groups’ transactions revealed some that “are unrelated to the purpose for which they were founded, and have not been reported to tax authorities, and for that reason constitute the generation of illegal income.”
Prosecutors would later decide whether to file any charges.
The statement added that religious groups “are vulnerable to being improperly used by organized crime groups, including terrorists, given that frequently they are subject to very little oversight by authorities and are given greater tax benefits by governments.”
Naasón Joaquín García, the self-proclaimed apostle of La Luz del Mundo, has been charged with three dozen felony counts in California, including child rape and human trafficking, He has denied wrongdoing.
Prosecutors contend García and two other people committed sex crimes and also produced child pornography involving five women and girls who were church group members. The crimes took place between 2015 and 2018 in Los Angeles County, authorities allege.
García is the spiritual leader of La Luz del Mundo, which is Spanish for “The Light of the World.” The Guadalajara, Mexico-based evangelical Christian church was founded by his grandfather and claims 5 million followers worldwide.