ICE deports former Mexico governor serving federal prison sentence in Illinois

A former governor and presidential candidate in Mexico serving a federal prison sentence in the U S for money laundering was deported by U S Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE this week Tomas Jesus Yarrington Ruvalcaba was removed by ICE on Wednesday and turned over to Mexican officers whom he was requested by the agency informed on Friday Yarrington was the governor of Tamaulipas Mexico from to and ran as a presidential candidate for Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party in FUGITIVE MEXICAN EX-GOVERNOR CHARGED WITH DRUG SMUGGLING CAPTURED IN ITALYBefore he was transferred to ICE custody last summer he was serving a -month sentence in the Federal Correctional Institution Thomson in Illinois after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in Yarrington was moved from the Illinois prison to continue immigration hearings and on Feb a judge with the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered his removal The ex-politician waived his right to appeal Mexican personnel were awaiting his arrival at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California to take him into custody for charges he is facing there which include organized crime and transactions with illegally obtained information FORMER MEXICO GOVERNOR EXTRADITED TO US TO FACE DRUG CHARGES Court documents manifested that he accepted bribes from individuals and private companies in Mexico during his time as governor of Tamaulipas to do business with the state ICE stated He used the bribery money to purchase properties in the United States but used nominee buyers in an attempt to hide his involvement Yarrington laundered his illegally obtained bribe money in the United States by purchasing beachfront condominiums large estates commercial developments airplanes and luxury vehicles ICE stated Yarrington was caught traveling in Italy in April under an assumed name and fake passport He was taken into custody there on a provisional arrest warrant following a May indictment for various money laundering and drug-related charges Italian officers ultimately authorized his extradition to the U S which he fought and he arrived in the states in April