Publicado em12/03/2025 às 06h53
Notícias da concorrência
Eight Individuals Plead Guilty to Wide-Ranging Scheme to Monopolize Transmigrante Forwarding Industry, Fix Prices, Extort Competitors, and Launder Money
Tuesday, March 11, 2025Share 
For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that eight defendants have pleaded guilty for their conduct in a long-running and violent conspiracy to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding agency industry in the Los Indios, Texas, border region near Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas. The three remaining defendants to the superseding indictment remain at large as fugitives. Transmigrantes are individuals who transport used vehicles and other goods from the United States through Mexico for resale in Central America. Transmigrante forwarding agencies are U.S.-based businesses that provide services to transmigrante clients, including helping those clients complete the customs paperwork required to export vehicles into Mexico.
“The Criminal Division is committed to holding violent criminal organizations accountable in whatever markets in which they operate,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Transnational criminal organizations that use violence to dominate industries will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“These guilty pleas bring to justice individuals who used violence and extortion to fix prices and monopolize the market for essential services that Americans rely on to earn a living,” said Director of Criminal Enforcement Emma Burnham of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division will continue to use every tool at its disposal to protect the public by prosecuting violent criminals – including those who aim to corrupt America’s free markets.”
“Price fixing harms both the public and the business community,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “Schemes like this artificially drive up prices, forcing consumers to pay more than they ordinarily would. At its core, such market collusion is nothing more than theft from consumers.”
“These defendants tried to rule through fear, using threats, violence and intimidation to eliminate competition,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Their guilty pleas send a clear message that price fixing and market allocation are serious crimes, and we will hold those accountable who put profits over the law and fair commerce.”
“Today’s pleas reflect the relentlessness of the federal government’s pursuit of transnational criminal organizations that exploit international trade and the U.S. economy,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This violent scheme was fueled by greed that undermined the safety and economic security of the border region; HSI has prioritized significant resources to protect the U.S. and our legitimate trade.”
According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Houston, defendants Carlos Martinez also known as “Cuate,” Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, Roberto Garcia Villareal, Sandra Guerra Medina, and Mireya Miranda pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante forwarding agency services in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, and one count of conspiracy to monopolize the same market in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. The conspirators fixed the prices for transmigrante forwarding agency services and created a centralized entity known as the “Pool” to collect and divide revenues among the conspirators, limit competition from other agencies, and increase prices for their services. Market participants who were not part of the conspiracy had to join and pay into the Pool. Pool members enforced the rules of the Pool by monitoring whether forwarding agencies were charging the agreed-upon prices, including by posting prices publicly on social media, and monitoring whether agencies were paying into the Pool as required.
Martinez, Calvillo, Villareal, and Carlos Yzaguirre pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion. Martinez also pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by extortion. The defendants conspired to force forwarding agencies to pay money to the Pool and to pay other extortion fees, including a “piso” for every transaction processed in the industry as well as a “fine” for operating in the market outside of Pool rules. The conspirators perpetrated acts of intimidation, coercion, and violence in furtherance of the antitrust and extortion conspiracies. Defendant Martinez was responsible for at least $9.5 million in extortion payments.
Martinez and Jose de Jesus Tapia Fernandez also pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy, through which they laundered extortion proceeds. Cash obtained from the extortion conspiracy was deposited into bank accounts controlled by Martinez and his family, and those deposits were made to conceal and disguise the nature, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds. Juan Hector Ramirez Avila pleaded guilty to one count of structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements.
Martinez agreed to forfeit four real properties and $375,000 in seized U.S. currency, to pay a fine, and to pay full restitution to extortion victims. Guerra, Miranda, Calvillo, and Villareal have also agreed to pay fines as part of their plea agreements.
Rigoberto Brown and Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, and Diego Ceballos-Soto were also charged in the superseding indictment and remain fugitives. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Conspiracies to allocate the market, fix prices, or monopolize in violation of the Sherman Act carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $1 million fine for an individual. Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $250,000 fine. Money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment and a maximum $500,000 fine. Structuring a financial transaction to evade reporting requirements carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, HSI, and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Brittany E. McClure, Anne Veldhuis, and Michael G. Lepage of the Antitrust Division, Trial Attorney Christina Taylor of VCRS, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander L. Alum for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations.
Updated March 11, 2025
Topic
Antitrust
Components
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)Press Release Number: 25-247
Cabinet Decision on the Bill to amend the Subcontract Act and the Act on the Promotion of Subcontracting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises(March 11, 2025)
March 11, 2025
Japan Fair Trade Commission
The Cabinet today approved of the bill to amend the Subcontract Act and the Act on the Promotion of Subcontracting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
* For more information, please visit our Japanese website.
https://www.jftc.go.jp/houdou/pressrelease/2025/mar/250311_kakugikettei.html
C12688 – The Italian Competition Authority approves Italgas’ acquisition of 2i Rete Gas subject to conditions
PRESS RELEASE
The transaction, involving the two largest natural gas distributors in Italy, was likely to harm competition. Following the Authority’s investigation, Italgas will need to comply with a number of important divestiture and behavioural measures.
The Italian Competition Authority has authorised the acquisition of 2i Rete Gas Spa by Italgas Spa subject to conditions. The transaction, involving the two largest natural gas distributors in Italy, may well have led to competitive concerns with respect to future area-based tenders for the identification of gas distribution concession holders in 65 Italian minimum territorial areas (so-called ATEMs).
Following a complex investigation, which saw the participation of numerous market players and industry associations, the Authority authorised the transaction subject to compliance with divestiture and behavioural measures.
In particular, in 31 ATEMs, Italgas is required to divest a share of at least 20% of the gas redelivery points it manages based on existing concessions. In other 4 ATEMs, it will need to sell a share equivalent to that acquired. Such transfers, which must follow specific procedures and the timeline set forth in the final decision, will be made under the supervision of a monitoring trustee approved by the Authority.
Moreover, with respect to all 65 ATEMs under investigation, the company will need to adopt behavioural remedies (financial, contractual, technical and informational measures) aimed at incentivising tender participation, by ensuring other players are in a position to compete effectively against Italgas during tender procedures.
Rome, 11 March 2025
Decisões da concorrência
CADE
Ato de Concentração nº 08700.007319/2024-66
Requerentes: SINTOKOGIO, LTD. e Elastikos (France) S.A.S.
Advogados: Marcio Soares, João Marcelo Lima, Paulo Luciano Júnior e Beatriz Vergette.
Com fulcro no §1º do art. 50, da Lei nº 9.784, de 1999, integro as razões da Nota Técnica nº 3/2025/CGAA3/SGA1/SG/CADE (SEI 1528184) à presente decisão, inclusive como sua motivação, para, nos termos do artigo 56 da Lei 12.529, de 2011, declarar o Ato de Concentração nº 08700.007319/2024-66 complexo, e determinar a realização das diligências indicadas na Nota Técnica nº 3/2025/CGAA3/SGA1/SG/CADE. Esta Superintendência resguarda a sua faculdade de posteriormente, se for o caso, requerer ao Tribunal Administrativo do Cade a dilação do prazo de que trata o artigo 56, parágrafo único, e o artigo 88, § 9º da Lei nº 12.529, de 2011.
Autorité de la Concurrence
Secteur(s) :
25-DCC-51
relative à la prise de contrôle conjoint des sociétés Calao 160 et Calao 200 par les sociétés Pehes et ITM Entreprises
Décision de contrôle des concentrations|
Publication du sens de la décision le : 11 mars 2025
Secteur(s) :
25-DCC-50
relative à la prise de contrôle conjoint des sociétés Calao 14, Calao 143 et Calao 193 par les sociétés Fimadeu et ITM Entreprises
Décision de contrôle des concentrations|
Publication du sens de la décision le : 11 mars 2025
Autoridade da Concorrência de Portugal
Fundo Shoppings Iberia I notifica a aquisição do controlo exclusivo sobre o Centro Novo Caldas da Rainha e o Centro Novo Guarda.
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