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House commission probes DITOP investigations after Justice letter cites former investigator
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Summary
Lawmakers pressed DITOP officials about irregularities in investigations of vehicle-inspection centers, noting a Justice Department referral concerning former investigations led by Arturo Delis and asking DITOP to produce files and delegation records within five business days.
The House of Representatives’ Commission on Transportation and Infrastructure pressed DITOP officials on procedural failures in past investigations of vehicle inspection centers and on a Justice Department referral naming a former director of investigations.
Marco García, secretario asociado en el Departamento de Transportación y Obras Públicas (DITOP), told the commission he had received a Justice Department letter dated April 10 and stamped received April 13 notifying the agency of an administrative investigation involving Arturo Delis, the former director of the investigations office. "La carta tiene fecha del 10 de abril, pero fue recibida y está ponchada el 13 de abril," García said, and he provided the case reference cited by Justice.
The commission read aloud the applicable regulation (Reglamento 95-26) and asked whether the secretary had delegated the statutory authority to suspend or close inspection stations for up to 30 days. García said no delegation appears in DITOP’s records and that, under the current reading of the regulation, the power to suspend an official inspection station rests with the secretary. The chair characterized the absence of a delegation record as significant and instructed staff to request any delegation documents.
Committee members also raised the scope of prior enforcement activity. García said DITOP’s records indicate about 68 inspection centers received fines during the period under review, but he acknowledged his team had not personally reviewed every file. "Hay expediente, sí," he said, but added the office would need to corroborate the level of documentation for each center.
Several commissioners reported sworn testimony from inspection-center representatives saying that, in many cases, evidence of the alleged violations had not been presented to the centers before they were required to accept fines or pay. Mari Fuster, directora de servicios al conductor, who joined DITOP in October 2021, testified that the office now follows the regulatory process but that earlier actions sometimes did not comport with legal requirements. "Exacto, no se hizo según el reglamento y la ley," she said when asked whether the past process had been correct.
Members repeatedly asked whether fines had been negotiated or reduced administratively without the required referrals to investigatory bodies; DITOP officials acknowledged inconsistencies in prior practice and said that when potential crimes are detected the office refers matters to police or the Justice Department. García said a new internal investigations manual and training coordinated with the FBI are steps the agency has taken to tighten processes.
The commission issued several requests for records and follow-up: the full files for the centers cited, documentation of any delegations of authority to close stations, a list of administrative hearings held, and confirmation of whether DITOP made referrals to the Justice Department during the period under review. Officials were asked to deliver the requested documents within five business days.
The commission said its inquiry would inform recommended regulatory or legislative changes to ensure inspections, fines and any criminal referrals follow the law and protect due process for inspection centers.
