Fugitive Mexican Politicians Flee to Texas to Escape Corruption Charges Joy Diaz - Texas Standard
go to original April 12, 2017

César Horacio Duarte, former governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua (OEA-OAS/Flickr)

In late March, Cesar Duarte, the former governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, fled to El Paso to escape corruption allegations. Duarte is now the subject of an international arrest warrant, which was filed by his successor, current Governor Javier Corral.



This is not the first time someone an allegedly corrupt Mexican politician has sought refuge in Texas.

Texas’ status as a border state is the main reason it has become a magnet for figures like Duarte, says Dolia Estevez, a contributor to Forbes who investigates the nexus of money and politics in Mexico.

Texas borders three Mexican states – Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Chihuahua – all of which have a high degree of drug cartel activity. Estevez says that the cartels have “penetrated the political system” in these states and are a major factor behind high levels of corruption.

“There’s a whole system that supports or facilitates this kind of behavior in Texas,” Estevez says. “The banking system, the real estate, lawyers – they have all worked with [corrupt politicians] or still work with them.”

The ease of acquiring a Spanish-speaking realtor or lawyer doesn’t help either.

“When they run into trouble in Mexico or with U.S. law enforcement, there’s a bunch of lawyers willing to take their cases,” Estevez says. The power and wealth former politicians have makes getting help easier.

Read the rest at Texas Standard

Related: U.S., Mexico Say They’re Working Together to Extradite Politician Wanted in Texas (Express-News)

Related: Mexican Government Shamed by Italian Arrest of Former PRI Governor Tomás Yarrington (Mexico Voices)

Related: US, Mexico Hunt Corrupt, Drug-Pushing Officials (Agence France-Presse)

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