The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) announced that its ministers will not use the nine recently purchased luxury armored vehicles, opting to reassign or return them in the name of austerity. Minister President Hugo Aguilar explained that the purchase was due to deficiencies in the inherited vehicle fleet, but after criticism, public savings were prioritized. President Claudia Sheinbaum applauded the decision for saving one billion pesos.
In a press conference on January 26, 2026, Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, president minister of the SCJN, justified the purchase of nine armored Jeep Cherokee vehicles, each valued at around 1.7 million pesos, citing security needs established since 2010. The Court received 39 vehicles from the previous administration: 30 Suburbans and nine Jeeps from 2019 to 2021 models, but four were retained by ex-ministers as part of their retirement benefits, per a prior plenary agreement. “Four vehicles were acquired by the previous integration (…) And they in the previous integration took the agreement in the Plenary that as part of their retirement benefits they could take the vehicles assigned to them,” Aguilar explained, clarifying it was not theft: “There is a plenary agreement (…) Bought, they didn't steal them, we must clarify. It's regulated”.
The inherited vehicles showed deterioration, with expired armor according to federal security evaluations, leading to the renewal to ensure ministers' protection against inherent risks. However, amid controversy over public spending, the ministers agreed not to use the new vehicles or the Suburbans for being “ostentatious.” Instead, they will be decommissioned or reassigned to other judges who need them, and 21 Suburbans will be put up for sale. Aguilar emphasized: “Austerity is not a symbolic act” and “We will function with due austerity in our daily activities.” There are no active threats against the nine ministers, according to security elements.
President Claudia Sheinbaum praised the measure in her morning conference: “It seems good to me (…) they had saved resources by buying cars instead of renting. It's a new Court and there must be a different vision for the people,” highlighting savings of nearly one billion pesos by choosing purchase over leasing. Within Morena, there were divisions: Ricardo Monreal criticized the acquisition for not aligning with the Fourth Transformation's austerity, while Gerardo Fernández Noroña previously defended it as “a work tool, not a luxury. They can't go on foot, on the Metro, hitchhike.” This decision reflects a balance between security and fiscal responsibility in the Judicial Branch.
