Puebla Anti-Corruption Ex-Prosecutor Found Dead in Mexico; Inquiry Open
MEXICO · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —The country Puebla, Mexico’s fifth most populous state with 6.6 million people in 2020, is governed by President Sheinbaum’s Morena party.
- —Why it matters Puebla’s anti-corruption unit prosecutes corruption by public officials, so the death of its former head draws close scrutiny.
- —What happened Rubén Alberto Curiel Tejeda, the state’s anti-corruption prosecutor until July, was found dead in a government complex on 25 September.
- —The official account State prosecutors say early evidence points to a possible self-inflicted death, and that the inquiry stays open.
- —What it means for you The case tests how openly Puebla investigates its own officials, which matters to anyone living or investing there.
- —Still open Autopsy and security-video findings are not yet public; the chief prosecutor is due to present details on Tuesday 29 September.
Rubén Alberto Curiel Tejeda, who led the Puebla anti-corruption prosecutor’s office until July, was found dead on Friday 25 September. The discovery was made in a state government office complex in the city of Puebla, in central Mexico.
The state prosecution service said preliminary evidence points to a possible self-inflicted death, a view his widow has since shared. Lawyers who knew him and an opposition lawmaker have questioned that finding and how quickly it was reached.
Who Rubén Curiel Tejeda was
Curiel became acting head of the Puebla anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, a specialised unit of the state prosecution service, on 13 November 2025. He was sworn in by the state’s chief prosecutor, Idamis Pastor Betancourt, El Universal Puebla and the broadcaster Canal 44 reported.
Pastor removed him at the end of July and appointed Yoshimar Pérez Carrasco in his place. Periodismo Hoy, citing sources inside the prosecution service, reported on 31 July that an internal review found his performance fell short.
He then became chief legal coordinator of the state’s Secretariat for Anti-Corruption and Good Government, which oversees the conduct of public officials. He had earlier worked in municipal public security and in the state commission that searches for missing people, El Financiero reported.
Curiel studied law at the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, the state university, the Puebla news site e-consulta reported. He was due to present a book on the history of notaries in Puebla the following week, El Universal Puebla reported.
What the state prosecutors say happened
Staff found Curiel in his vehicle on Friday morning, 25 September, in the underground car park of the CIS Angelópolis. The CIS is a complex in Puebla city that houses state government offices, La Jornada de Oriente reported.
Paramedics found no vital signs, and forensic experts processed the scene. The state prosecution service said that “preliminary indications point to a possible self-inflicted death,” La Jornada de Oriente and e-consulta reported.
The same statement said the inquiry would stay open until every legal step needed to clarify the facts had been taken. An autopsy was ordered at the state forensic medical service, El Financiero reported.
Curiel attended a regional event with President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday 24 September, according to a chronology published by Periódico Central. Infobae reported that he is believed to have died that evening, and that security video is being analysed.
Why critics doubt the official account
Israel Trujillo, a lawyer and friend of Curiel, asked Mexico’s federal prosecution service, known as the FGR, to take over the case. He argued that the death was not self-inflicted, Periódico Central and e-consulta reported.
Trujillo pointed to Curiel’s normal behaviour the day before, a planned book launch and a recent property purchase, Periódico Central reported. Journalist Alberto Rueda raised the same points, according to Proceso.
Pastor, the chief prosecutor who removed Curiel from the anti-corruption post in July, now oversees the inquiry into his death. Azteca Puebla, a local television channel, reported on 28 September that she had left an official ceremony without answering reporters’ questions.
Rafael Micalco, a state lawmaker for the conservative opposition National Action Party (PAN), called the prosecutors’ early statement irresponsible, Proceso reported. He asked how investigators could be “practically reaching a conclusion” within two hours.
In an opinion column on 27 September, e-consulta director Rodolfo Ruiz said he had no firm evidence against the official account. He still asked how a death went unnoticed in a closely guarded government building, and urged scrutiny of Curiel’s cases.
The extortion complaints in the background
Curiel’s appointment in November 2025 came during a shake-up of the prosecution service. On 14 November, Proceso reported that at least six officials had left after business owners accused prosecution staff of extortion.
Most of those officials had arrived with Pastor from Mexico City and the surrounding State of Mexico, the same report said. The prosecution service said then that it remained committed to “legality, ethics and institutional integrity.”
As anti-corruption prosecutor, Curiel took complaints from local business people against prosecution officials from the State of Mexico, Proceso and Infobae reported. Both described unconfirmed accounts linking that step to his removal in July, while insiders had cited a performance review.
No official has linked those complaints or his removal to his death. The governor has rejected claims of foul play, while critics want the cases Curiel handled re-examined.
What the governor and the family say
Governor Alejandro Armenta of Morena, the left-wing party of President Sheinbaum, has led Puebla since 14 December 2024. On 25 September he wrote on X that his government “will support everything necessary to clarify what happened,” Periódico Central reported.
On Saturday 26 September, Curiel’s widow, Adalit Aguilar, said in a public statement that her husband had taken his own life. She said speculation and “false stories” only caused more pain to the family, Infobae reported.
At his press conference on Monday 28 September, Armenta said he had asked her whether she wanted the FGR to take over. She replied that she knew “the decision my husband made” and wanted only respect, El Universal Puebla reported.
Armenta called claims of murder “perverse slander” and those spreading them “media hitmen,” La Nigua and Urbano Puebla reported. He called Curiel “my friend, my teacher, my guide, my mentor” in law, and said he had promoted him.
The governor also announced a review of security rules and cameras at the CIS complex. He wants to know why nobody noticed anything during the night before the body was found, Urbano Puebla reported.
What is not yet known
The full autopsy results and the findings from the security video have not been made public. It is also not known how the death went unnoticed overnight, a question the governor himself has raised.
Investigators are checking the video to rule out the involvement of anyone else, Infobae reported. The state prosecution service has not yet published the evidence behind its preliminary finding.
What comes next
Armenta said on Monday that Pastor would present details of the investigation on Tuesday 29 September, La Nigua and Urbano Puebla reported. Armenta has ruled out asking the FGR to take over, citing the widow’s wishes, so the state keeps the case.
The preliminary finding is not a final ruling, and the critics’ doubts are not evidence of a crime. The test for Puebla is whether the published evidence is complete enough to settle those doubts.
About 19,800 people born in the United States lived in Puebla state in 2020, according to INEGI, Mexico’s statistics office. For them and other residents, the Puebla anti-corruption case shows how openly the state examines its own officials.
In Mexico, the Línea de la Vida, a federal health helpline, offers free support at any hour on 800 911 2000. Readers in the United States can call or text 988, and readers elsewhere can contact local crisis services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Rubén Alberto Curiel Tejeda?
A lawyer who led the Puebla anti-corruption prosecutor’s office from November 2025 until July 2026. At his death he was chief legal coordinator of the state’s Secretariat for Anti-Corruption and Good Government.
What do the authorities say happened?
Puebla’s state prosecution service says preliminary evidence points to a possible self-inflicted death. It says the inquiry stays open until all necessary legal steps are complete.
Why do some people doubt the official account?
A lawyer who was his friend and an opposition lawmaker questioned how fast the preliminary finding came. Some also point to the extortion complaints he handled as prosecutor, although no official has linked them to his death.
Will Mexico’s federal prosecutors take over the case?
Not for now. Governor Alejandro Armenta said Curiel’s widow declined a federal takeover, so the state prosecution service keeps the case.
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