Tomas Jesus Yarrington Ruvalcaba, a former governor and presidential candidate in Mexico, was deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this week after serving a federal prison sentence in the U.S. for money laundering. Yarrington was the governor of Tamaulipas, Mexico, from 1999 to 2005 and ran as a presidential candidate for Mexico’s Institutional Revolutionary Party in 2005. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in 2021 and was serving a 108-month sentence in the Federal Correctional Institution Thomson in Illinois before being transferred to ICE custody.
Yarrington, 68, was deported and turned over to Mexican authorities who had been waiting for his arrival. Charges he is facing in Mexico include organized crime and transactions with illegally obtained resources. It was revealed that Yarrington accepted bribes from individuals and private companies in Mexico during his tenure as governor to conduct business with the state. He then laundered this money by purchasing various properties in the United States, using nominee buyers in an attempt to hide his involvement. He was ordered to be removed from the U.S. after he waived his right to appeal immigration hearings.
In April 2017, Yarrington was captured in Italy under an assumed name and fake passport. He was taken into custody on a provisional arrest warrant following a May 2013 indictment for money laundering and drug-related charges. Italian authorities authorized his extradition to the U.S., to which he initially fought against. Yarrington finally arrived in the states in April 2018 to serve his sentence. The former politician’s deportation comes as a result of his criminal activities, including accepting bribes, money laundering, and engaging in drug-related charges.
Mexican authorities were waiting for Yarrington at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California following his deportation. This marked the end of a legal battle that began with his capture in Italy in 2017. He was found to have used fraudulent means to purchase properties in the U.S. with bribes received during his time as governor. Yarrington’s involvement in corruption and illegal activities ultimately led to his imprisonment in the U.S. and subsequent deportation to Mexico, where he will face charges for his crimes. The former governor’s downfall serves as a cautionary tale for politicians involved in bribery, money laundering, and other illicit activities.
