Extradition of Mexico Governor Highlights Cattle, Money Laundering Nexus
ELITES AND CRIME
/11 NOV 2021 BY PARKER ASMANN*
The disgraced former governor of Chihuahua, César Duarte, may soon be on a flight home. A US judge approved his extradition back to Mexico to face charges of conspiracy and embezzling government funds, in a case that has shed light on the use of the country’s cattle industry to launder money.
Federal judge Lauren Luis ruled there is “probable cause to believe” that former Chihuahua state governor Duarte “committed the crimes charged in the extradition complaint,” according to the order filed November 8.
Between 2011 and 2014, Duarte is accused of embezzling more than 96 million Mexican pesos (around $5 million) in government funds through a far-reaching corruption network designed to “deviate public money into companies directly linked to him,” according to the charges Mexican authorities filed against him in 2019.
Among the entities Duarte allegedly used to launder money was the northern Chihuahua branch of a major ranchers' union, of which he was a shareholder and former chairman of the board.
More:
https://insightcrime.org/news/governor-cattle-money-laundering-mexico/
Chihuahua, Mexico's charismatic Gov. César Duarte
Gov. Duarte with the man the newspapers always hastened to tell us was Mexico's "photogenic" President.
No doubt they meant to say "ridiculously corrupt"
