Federal agents have deported former Mexican Governor Tomas de Jesus Yarrington Ruvalcaba, where he now faces trial on federal corruption and embezzlement charges. Yarrington, once shielded by political connections in Mexico and even provided police bodyguards while a fugitive, has lost that protection with the rise of a new ruling political party.
This deportation followed Yarrington’s completion of a 108-month U.S. prison sentence after pleading guilty to money laundering on March 25, 2021. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped more severe allegations that linked him to cartels. Yarrington had been accused of aiding Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel during his governorship (1999–2005), allowing them to operate “with complete impunity.”
According to ICE, Yarrington funneled bribes from private sources into U.S. bank accounts and used the illicit funds to purchase real estate. Federal agents also accused him of continuing to help cartels, even after leaving office—specifically “help[ing] Los Zetas and the Beltran Leyva Cartel gain a foothold in the Port of Veracruz.”
While a fugitive with an Interpol warrant, the Mexican governor lived openly in Mexico, protected by Tamaulipas police. “Breitbart Texas was the first outlet to report” on this state-sponsored protection, revealing that political pressure eventually forced Mexican authorities to drop their support. Yarrington then fled to Italy, where he lived under an alias until his capture by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Photos published by Breitbart Texas showed him “living a life of luxury in Europe and even partying with models.”After his arrest, the Mexican government sought to extradite him first, but an Italian court sided with the U.S. and he was transferred to Texas.
His successor, Eugenio Hernandez, faces similar charges and is still wanted by the U.S. government. Despite spending time in a Mexican jail, Hernandez was freed before extradition proceedings began. He recently ran for federal office in an apparent attempt to gain immunity but lost and reportedly continues living lavishly in a beach community.
