New information about Vladimir Plahotniuc's Mexican identity: he appears in documents as Vito Perez Gonzalez
Oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, who is wanted internationally, allegedly obtained a new Mexican identity in 2024. According to a ZdG investigation, he holds a passport, birth certificate and identity card issued in the name of Vito Perez Gonzalez, and the documents were delivered to an address in Dubai.
Former leader of the Democratic Party of Moldova, Vladimir Plahotniuc, who is wanted internationally for arrest and extradition, appears in official Mexican documents under a new identity: Vito Perez Gonzalez. The investigation reveals that in January 2024, Plahotniuc allegedly obtained a Mexican passport valid for ten years, which was delivered to him at a location in Dubai.
The new passport identifies him as a Mexican citizen born on December 28, 1975 in Tlaxcala, Mexico – ten years younger than his actual age. The photo in the document represents the first public image of Plahotniuc since his disappearance from the Republic of Moldova in June 2019.
In addition to the passport, the former politician also obtained other official Mexican documents, including a birth certificate and an identity document known as a credencial para votar, issued by the National Electoral Institute of Mexico. This document, essential for participating in elections in Mexico, is also the most commonly used identification document in this country. It shows another photo of Plahotniuc, dressed in a yellow T-shirt.
The data on the credencial para votar indicates that he had been registered as a voter since 1994, although Mexican citizenship was only acquired in 2024. The document is valid until 2033, and the address listed is a Tlaxcala address: “C 8 15 Col La Loma Xicotencatl 90067”.
We remind you that Vladimir Plahotniuc fled the Republic of Moldova in the summer of 2019, after the Democratic Party of Moldova lost power. In the same year, the authorities in Chisinau requested his prosecution through Interpol, and an arrest warrant was issued against him for crimes such as creating and leading a criminal organization, fraud and money laundering. According to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, Plahotniuc allegedly benefited from over 39 million dollars and 3.5 million euros, stolen from Banca de Economii, Unibank and Banca Sociala. Also, in December 2022, the British authorities imposed sanctions on Plahotniuc and Ilan Shor, accused in the "Bank Fraud" case. In the past, the two were also included on the US sanctions list for involvement in systemic corruption and influencing electoral processes in favor of Russia.
