For customs brokers
The lawyer who defends the patente and answers your U.S. clients in English.
Since January 1, 2026 the patente is no longer for life and the agency answers jointly for what its clients declare. You remain the customs expert. Mariela Cárdenas carries the legal side: the authority, the Tribunal, the agency as a company, and your clients from the United States.
What changed on January 1, 2026
The customs-law reform put the risk on the broker's name.
Patente for 20 years, not for life
Renewable once, and the renewal is decided by the new Consejo Aduanero.
Certification every three years
A recurring requirement to keep the patente active.
Joint liability
The exemption of article 54 is gone: broker and agency answer with the importer for data, classification and duties.
Stronger procedures
Suspension, cancellation and assessments under a reinforced customs authority.
The office represents brokers and agencies in each of these matters. Send the last notice you received from the authority and you will hear back from the attorney with a first review.
For the agency
Matters that put the agency itself at risk.
- The patente. Proceedings that can lead to the suspension or cancellation of the broker's license, and the formal replies the authority requires along the way.
- Fines and assessments against the agency. Penalties, tax assessments and joint-liability claims directed at the broker rather than the importer.
- Seizures (PAMA) in which the agency is a party. Representation of the agency through the administrative procedure and, where needed, before the Federal Court of Administrative Justice.
- The agency as a company. Corporate records, powers of attorney, mandates and appointments, service agreements with clients, and the labor and REPSE side of the agency's staff.
- Audits and information requests. Representation during customs and SAT reviews of the agency's files.
How agencies engage the office
Three ways to work together.
Patente retainer
A monthly plan for the agency: every requirement, visit or notice from the authority gets a lawyer's reply, the certification cycle is followed, and any suspension or cancellation proceeding is defended from the first day.
Defense of a single matter
A seizure, a fine, an assessment, a joint-liability claim or an audit of the agency's files, handled through the authority and, if needed, the Federal Court of Administrative Justice.
Counsel for your U.S. clients
Mexican companies, permits, contracts and customs defense for the importers you serve, with reports in English for their management. You keep the account; the office keeps you informed.
For the agency's clients
Work you can refer with confidence. Your client stays your client.
- Defense of importers and exporters in seizures, fines and assessments.
- Mexican companies for U.S. clients: formation, registrations and yearly maintenance.
- Foreign trade programs and permits: IMMEX, sector registries, certifications.
- Contracts under Mexican law between your client and its Mexican suppliers, carriers or distributors.
- Reports in English for the client's U.S. management, counsel or accountants, so you do not have to translate the legal side.
How it works with your agency
Discreet, direct, and in your client's language.
- Referral or joint workYou introduce the matter, or you ask the office to work alongside your own team. Either way you decide what the client sees and when.
- Written scopeA written proposal with scope, timeline and fee basis before anything begins. Nothing starts without approval.
- One attorney, personallyMariela Cárdenas handles the matter herself and keeps the agency informed. Customs matters are federal, so the office acts for clients clearing at any Mexican port or border crossing.
Tell us about your matter in Mexico.
Write a few lines about your company and what you need. You will hear back from the attorney herself with a proposed first review.