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Canelo Alvarez Has Unwelcomed Distraction

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Robert LaMar | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 2:19 PM ET

As Canelo Alvarez gears up for what may be the biggest fight of his storied career. The blockbuster showdown with Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium on September 13th in Las Vegas, Nevada. But the Mexican superstar finds himself facing an unwelcome distraction outside of the ring.

Eric Daniel Zamora Delgadillo, reportedly associated with Canelo Energy. Is under serious scrutiny after being accused of using the convenience store chain and his biofuel company, Ecocarburante, to facilitate illegal activities. Including the distribution of stolen fuel and money laundering for the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG). One of Mexico’s most violent and powerful criminal organizations.

Authorities claim that Delgadillo’s operations provided cover for vast quantities of stolen fuel. Part of a broader “huachicol” (fuel theft) trade that has plagued Mexico’s energy sector for years. The use of legitimate businesses like Ecocarburante allegedly allowed illicit funds to be funneled through seemingly clean channels, without a doubt making it harder for authorities to detect cartel activity.

Terence Crawford: “Watch when I walk you down when you are supposed to be the bigger man”

Canelo Alvarez: “Aye, you say that because you fought with nobody & you obviously look like a ‘great fighter’(when facing those opponents)”
#Boxing #CaneloCrawford
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— Danny (@dantheboxingman) June 27, 2025

No stranger to trouble

Without a doubt Delgadillo’s history raises additional red flags. Before his reported involvement with Canelo Energy. Delgadillo served as president of Agrícola Boreal, a company that has been blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for alleged ties to drug trafficking and financial crimes. But being sanctioned by OFAC places Delgadillo and his affiliated entities on a list that restricts access to the U.S. financial system and bans American businesses from engaging with them.

While the full scope of the investigation is still unfolding. But the allegations add to mounting concerns over how Mexican cartels continue to infiltrate and exploit legal markets to conceal and launder the proceeds of organized crime.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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