In March 2000, he was accused of embezzling 420 million pesos from the city treasury by approving large financial transfers to an aide.
[3][4][5] Espinosa's administration "[left] so many bugging devices [in the city government offices that] Cárdenas immediately vacated the premises and set up camp in a separate building".
They found he had embezzled hundreds of millions of pesos by approving large financial transfers from the city treasury to multiple aides — some of whom would be charged for other crimes by 2000 — as well as journalists covering the mayorship.
[5] In December 1997, Zedillo appointed Espinosa as Mexico's Secretary of Tourism, an office which protects its holder from criminal prosecution.
[8] In March 2000, Cárdenas's embezzlement investigation led to formal accusations, as Mexico City's attorney general Samuel del Villar [es] filed a request with Congress to remove Espinosa from his position as secretary of tourism, accusing him of embezzling 420 million pesos by transferring them to an aide.
[clarification needed] The Mexico City attorney general's office requested Espinosa's detention through Interpol.
In December, Nicaragua placed Espinosa in jail and planned to extradite him back to Mexico, on request of Fox's foreign ministry.