Carlos Hank González
Encyclopedia
Carlos Hank González nicknamed El Profesor ("the professor"), was a Mexican
politician
and influential businessman. Originally a teacher, he was an entrepreneur who built political contacts along with a business empire, leading to various government and political positions at the state (State of Mexico) and national level. He was prevented from seeking the presidency due to laws requiring both parents to be Mexicans by birth. He became a main powerbroker of then ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was also linked to illegal activities (stealing part of the land of the Tijuana Caliente horse race track, among others).
in the State of Mexico. He graduated from the Escuela Nacional de Toluca as a primary education teacher and from the Normal Superior (Teacher's College) de México as a professor of history and biology. From 1947 to 1951 he was a teacher at the Secondaria Federal de Atlacomulco
. To supplement his income, he sold candy on the side. He grew and exchanged his small businesses into larger ones, along the way adding names of prominent politicians to his list of contacts. He founded a business empire of banking and transportation interests, including the foundation of airline Taesa
. In 1999, Forbes estimated his wealth at about 1.3 billion USD but other sources say that figure should be much higher.
He married Guadalupe Rhon, with whom he had two sons. He is the father of Carlos Hank Rhon and Jorge Hank Rhon
and grandfather of Carlos Hank González who now heads the company called Grupo Financiero Interacciones.
to take charge of the State of Mexico's Departmento de Escuelas Secundarias y Profesionales (Department of Professional and Secondary Schools) as well as the Oficina de Juntas de Mejoramiento Moral, Cívico y Material (Office of Committees for Moral, Civic and Material Improvement) between 1952 and 1953. The following year he was in charge of the treasury for the municipality of Toluca. From 1955 to 1957 he was the presidient of the ayuntamiento
of Toluca.
His federal service began in 1961 when he became a congressman (diputado federal) for the XLIV Legislature. However, at the height of his political career, he served as the governor of the State of Mexico from 1969 to 1975 and was appointed "regent"(similar to mayor) of Mexico City in 1976. Federally, he served as Secretary of Tourism from 1988 to 1990 when he was then named as Secretary of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources.
He was considered one of the leaders of the old guard wing of the Institutional Revolutionary Party
(PRI) He began as chief of the Delegación del Sector Popular at district, state and national convenctions of the PRI, then was a delegate for the party for the states of Chiapas
, Tabasco
, Campeche
and Quintana Roo
. He worked his way up to be a member of the Comisión Pólitica del Comité Ejecutivo Nacional, advising presidents of the party. His death not only left a vacant place in the party structure of the PRI but it also signaled the end of a cycle in Mexican politics where the PRI dominated everything.
Constitutionally barred from running for the Mexican presidency by a provision then in force which excluded those with a foreign-born parent from holding the office. His father, Jorge Hank Weber, was German) and was a colonel in both the German and Mexican armies. However, Carlos Hank had great influence in the PRI party, culminating in the late 1980s and early 1990s during the presidency of Carlos Salinas de Gortari. Other evidence of his wide-ranging connections came in the form of his birthday celebration every year on August 28, when "The professor" would have a grand party at his ranch called "Don Catarino" in Santiago Tianguistenco with thousands of invited guests.
As mayor
of Mexico City
, he built the Eje Central
and other projects designed to make the city more car-friendly.
and died in 2001 of cancer, spending the last few years of his life in the United States for treatment.
(NDIC) nicknamed Operation White Tiger, he -and now his two sons- are so involved in drug trafficking and money laundering
that they "pose a significant criminal threat to the United States." While U.S. law enforcement officials have spent years investigating Carlos Hank Gonzalez and his sons Carlos Hank Rhon and Jorge Hank Rhon
, the assessment by several agencies marks the first time that all three have been linked directly to the operations of major Mexican drug organizations. The report drew on information from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
, FBI, U.S. Customs Service, CIA, Interpol
and others. The report says intelligence agencies had intercepted conversations of the Hank family coordinating drug shipments. The document concludes that the Hank family has laundered money on a massive scale, assisted drug trafficking organizations in transporting drug shipments, and is engaged in large-scale public corruption, and was closely associated with the late Juárez Cartel
leader Amado Carrillo Fuentes
. A report by the World Policy Institute presented to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, described Carlos Hank as the "primary intermediary between the multinational drug trafficking enterprises and the Mexican political system".
Following the media revelations about Operation White Tiger, the Hank family, which has denied it is linked to or protecting top Mexican narcotraffickers, lobbied the U.S. Justice Department. With the assistance of Republican former U.S. senator Warren Rudman, whom Carlos Hank Rhon hired to represent his interests in Washington, Hank secured from Reno a letter contradicting the NDIC analysis. The attorney general's retraction of an intelligence analysis based on dozens of past investigations on the Hank family and on new lines of inquiry came as a bitter disappointment to members of the San Diego-based Operation White Tiger Task Force. The Hanks and their supporters insist that Reno's intervention was just and that they have been victims of innuendo spread by their political and business rivals.
From the start, agents involved in the probe feared that Washington would conclude that Operation White Tiger was too controversial and potentially too disruptive to Mexican-American relations for it to continue. They suspected it would be blocked, as previous investigations of top Mexican politicians.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and influential businessman. Originally a teacher, he was an entrepreneur who built political contacts along with a business empire, leading to various government and political positions at the state (State of Mexico) and national level. He was prevented from seeking the presidency due to laws requiring both parents to be Mexicans by birth. He became a main powerbroker of then ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). He was also linked to illegal activities (stealing part of the land of the Tijuana Caliente horse race track, among others).
Biography
Carlos Hank González was born in TianguistengoTianguistengo
Tianguistengo is a town and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 134 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 13,478....
in the State of Mexico. He graduated from the Escuela Nacional de Toluca as a primary education teacher and from the Normal Superior (Teacher's College) de México as a professor of history and biology. From 1947 to 1951 he was a teacher at the Secondaria Federal de Atlacomulco
Atlacomulco
Atlacomulco is a city and municipality located in the northwest of the State of Mexico in central Mexico, 63 km from the state capital of Toluca. The name is derived from the Nahuatl phrase "atlacomulli" which means "where there are wells." The city, with a population of 20,477 is...
. To supplement his income, he sold candy on the side. He grew and exchanged his small businesses into larger ones, along the way adding names of prominent politicians to his list of contacts. He founded a business empire of banking and transportation interests, including the foundation of airline Taesa
TAESA
TAESA was a low cost airline with its headquarters in No. 27 of Hangar Zone C on the grounds of Mexico City International Airport in Mexico City, Mexico...
. In 1999, Forbes estimated his wealth at about 1.3 billion USD but other sources say that figure should be much higher.
He married Guadalupe Rhon, with whom he had two sons. He is the father of Carlos Hank Rhon and Jorge Hank Rhon
Jorge Hank Rhon
Jorge Hank Rhon is a Mexican politician, businessman and owner of Mexico's largest sports betting company, Caliente. An eccentric and controversial personality, he served from December 2004 to February 2007 as the president of the municipality of Tijuana. He is the son of former Mexico City mayor...
and grandfather of Carlos Hank González who now heads the company called Grupo Financiero Interacciones.
Career
Hank González's political career began when he moved from Atlacomulco to TolucaToluca
Toluca, formally known as Toluca de Lerdo, is the state capital of Mexico State as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. It is the center of a rapidly growing urban area, now the fifth largest in Mexico. It is located west-southwest of Mexico City and only about 40 minutes by car to the...
to take charge of the State of Mexico's Departmento de Escuelas Secundarias y Profesionales (Department of Professional and Secondary Schools) as well as the Oficina de Juntas de Mejoramiento Moral, Cívico y Material (Office of Committees for Moral, Civic and Material Improvement) between 1952 and 1953. The following year he was in charge of the treasury for the municipality of Toluca. From 1955 to 1957 he was the presidient of the ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento
Ayuntamiento In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . is the general term for the council of a municipality, or sometimes the municipality itself, in Spain and Latin America. Historically Ayuntamiento was often preceded by the word excelentísimo , when referring to...
of Toluca.
His federal service began in 1961 when he became a congressman (diputado federal) for the XLIV Legislature. However, at the height of his political career, he served as the governor of the State of Mexico from 1969 to 1975 and was appointed "regent"(similar to mayor) of Mexico City in 1976. Federally, he served as Secretary of Tourism from 1988 to 1990 when he was then named as Secretary of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources.
He was considered one of the leaders of the old guard wing of the Institutional Revolutionary Party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
(PRI) He began as chief of the Delegación del Sector Popular at district, state and national convenctions of the PRI, then was a delegate for the party for the states of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, Tabasco
Tabasco
Tabasco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tabasco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa....
, Campeche
Campeche
Campeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west...
and Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo
Quintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....
. He worked his way up to be a member of the Comisión Pólitica del Comité Ejecutivo Nacional, advising presidents of the party. His death not only left a vacant place in the party structure of the PRI but it also signaled the end of a cycle in Mexican politics where the PRI dominated everything.
Constitutionally barred from running for the Mexican presidency by a provision then in force which excluded those with a foreign-born parent from holding the office. His father, Jorge Hank Weber, was German) and was a colonel in both the German and Mexican armies. However, Carlos Hank had great influence in the PRI party, culminating in the late 1980s and early 1990s during the presidency of Carlos Salinas de Gortari. Other evidence of his wide-ranging connections came in the form of his birthday celebration every year on August 28, when "The professor" would have a grand party at his ranch called "Don Catarino" in Santiago Tianguistenco with thousands of invited guests.
As mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, he built the Eje Central
Eje Central
The Eje Central is part of a system of roadways built by Carlos Hank González to make Mexico City more automobile-friendly....
and other projects designed to make the city more car-friendly.
Death
In 1997, Carlos Hank González suffered an embolismEmbolism
In medicine, an embolism is the event of lodging of an embolus into a narrow capillary vessel of an arterial bed which causes a blockage in a distant part of the body.Embolization is...
and died in 2001 of cancer, spending the last few years of his life in the United States for treatment.
Criminal accusations
According to a report by the U.S. National Drug Intelligence CenterNational Drug Intelligence Center
The U.S. National Drug Intelligence Center , established in 1993, is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice and a member of the Intelligence Community...
(NDIC) nicknamed Operation White Tiger, he -and now his two sons- are so involved in drug trafficking and money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
that they "pose a significant criminal threat to the United States." While U.S. law enforcement officials have spent years investigating Carlos Hank Gonzalez and his sons Carlos Hank Rhon and Jorge Hank Rhon
Jorge Hank Rhon
Jorge Hank Rhon is a Mexican politician, businessman and owner of Mexico's largest sports betting company, Caliente. An eccentric and controversial personality, he served from December 2004 to February 2007 as the president of the municipality of Tijuana. He is the son of former Mexico City mayor...
, the assessment by several agencies marks the first time that all three have been linked directly to the operations of major Mexican drug organizations. The report drew on information from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
, FBI, U.S. Customs Service, CIA, Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
and others. The report says intelligence agencies had intercepted conversations of the Hank family coordinating drug shipments. The document concludes that the Hank family has laundered money on a massive scale, assisted drug trafficking organizations in transporting drug shipments, and is engaged in large-scale public corruption, and was closely associated with the late Juárez Cartel
Juárez Cartel
The Juárez Cartel , also known as the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, is a Mexican drug cartel based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas...
leader Amado Carrillo Fuentes
Amado Carrillo Fuentes
Amado Carrillo Fuentes , was a Mexican drug lord who seized control of the Juárez Cartel after assassinating his boss Rafael Aguilar Guajardo. Amado Carrillo became known as "El Señor de Los Cielos" because of the large fleet of jets he used to transport drugs...
. A report by the World Policy Institute presented to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, described Carlos Hank as the "primary intermediary between the multinational drug trafficking enterprises and the Mexican political system".
Following the media revelations about Operation White Tiger, the Hank family, which has denied it is linked to or protecting top Mexican narcotraffickers, lobbied the U.S. Justice Department. With the assistance of Republican former U.S. senator Warren Rudman, whom Carlos Hank Rhon hired to represent his interests in Washington, Hank secured from Reno a letter contradicting the NDIC analysis. The attorney general's retraction of an intelligence analysis based on dozens of past investigations on the Hank family and on new lines of inquiry came as a bitter disappointment to members of the San Diego-based Operation White Tiger Task Force. The Hanks and their supporters insist that Reno's intervention was just and that they have been victims of innuendo spread by their political and business rivals.
From the start, agents involved in the probe feared that Washington would conclude that Operation White Tiger was too controversial and potentially too disruptive to Mexican-American relations for it to continue. They suspected it would be blocked, as previous investigations of top Mexican politicians.