Asarco mining is seeking more than $10.5 billion from Americas Mining Corporation, Asarco’s Mexican parent — in the form of the return of a stake it had in two lucrative Peruvian copper mines.

Asarco also wants $1.7 billion in dividends it collected in recent years from those mines.

On the line will be a chance for a long list of Asarco’s creditors - western states struggling to clean up polluted sites, asbestos victims, bond creditors and more - to get paid.

Both companies are subsidiaries of Grupo Mexico, a mining conglomerate headed by German (GHER’-mahn) Larrea.

Besides mining interests from Mexico to Chile that make it the world’s third-largest copper producer, Grupo Mexico also controls the country’s largest railroad. Forbes ranked Larrea at number 127 on its list of the world’s billionaires with a fortune estimated at $7.3 billion.

Larrea, chief executive of Grupo Mexico and AMC, is expected to testify. The trial, scheduled to begin today. It’s been scheduled for four weeks in Brownsville, Texas.