Virginia Guillén: 30 Years of Experience at Pemex

Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has launched an investigation into one of its long-term employees following the viral spread of a lavish XV años celebration for her daughter in Tabasco. The state-owned oil company filed a formal complaint with the Secretaría Anticorrupción y Buen Gobierno (SABG) to examine the financial means used to fund the event.

Virginia Guillén Ávalos has been employed by Pemex for more than 30 years. She currently serves as a technical assistant B within the Exploration and Production (PEP) division. According to data from the Nómina Transparente platform, Guillén Ávalos earns a gross monthly salary of 54,668 pesos, which results in a net monthly income of 38,008.76 pesos.

Investigation into Lavish Expenditures

The scrutiny began after reports surfaced regarding a multimillion-peso party held in March in Tabasco for Guillén Ávalos’ daughter, María Fernanda. The event, which is estimated to have cost approximately 40 million pesos, featured performances by artists Belinda and J Balvin and was hosted by Galilea Montijo.

On April 8, 2026, during a morning press conference, the director of Pemex, Víctor Rodríguez, confirmed that he had submitted a request for a review of the employee’s situation. Rodríguez stated that while there is no labor lawsuit, the company has requested a review to ensure adherence to Buen Gobierno.

President Claudia Sheinbaum also confirmed that the company presented the complaint to the Secretaría Anticorrupción following reports about the event.

Asset Declarations and Financial Discrepancies

The investigation focuses on the discrepancy between Guillén Ávalos’ reported income and the scale of the celebration. In her patrimonial declaration from the previous year, the employee reported annual income from her work at Pemex totaling 581,000 pesos and listed no additional extra income. That same declaration indicated she held no bank accounts or credit cards, reporting only a payroll account, a savings account, and a fixed-term deposit account.

However, a 2021 patrimonial declaration revealed a different financial profile, including several high-value assets:

• A luxury BMW automobile, purchased in December 2014 and paid for in cash for nearly 900,000 pesos.
• A 171-square-meter house valued at 717,000 pesos, acquired in 2008 through a mortgage credit from the Sindicato de Trabajadores Petroleros de la República Mexicana (STPRM).
• A second home purchased in cash on August 20, 2018, with a value of 896,347 pesos.
• Various other terrains and properties.

Family Connections

Attention has also turned to Juan Carlos Guerrero Rojas, the husband of Virginia Guillén Ávalos. Guerrero Rojas is a businessman based in Tabasco and a contractor for Pemex. The relationship between a Pemex contractor and a long-term Pemex employee is a focal point of the current scrutiny surrounding the funding of the March celebration.