A Former Presidential Candidate in Mexico Sentenced to 9 Years in U.S.
A former presidential candidate in Mexico, Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba, has been sentenced to nine years of imprisonment after officials accused him of taking millions of dollars in bribes and using it to buy properties in the United States. MONICA M. DAVEY/AFP via Getty Images)

A former presidential candidate in Mexico, Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba, has been sentenced to nine years of imprisonment after officials accused him of taking millions of dollars in bribes and using it to buy properties in the United States.

The 66-year-old former presidential candidate and ex-governor of Tamaulipas in northeast Mexico received the sentence in a U.S. District Court for southern Texas on Wednesday, according to Al Jazeera News.

The judge presiding the case, Judge Rolando Olvera, ordered the ex-governor to surrender a condominium he purchased in Port Isabel, which is a coastal city in Texas.

In March 2021, Yarrington Ruvalcaba pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He also admitted to U.S. authorities that he received bribes for business contracts in Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Federal prosecutor Alamdar Hamdani described the decision as "bringing a corrupt politician to justice."

Hamdani said in a press release that they will not stand idly by when you use your position to wrongfully "fill your pockets," even if they are a governor of a Mexican state.

Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba's Bribery Scandal

Yarrington Ruvalcaba purchased properties in the United States under nominee buyers who purchased the properties to hide the former Tamaulipas governor's ownership of the said properties.

In addition, he also laundered money in the U.S. by purchasing beachfront condominiums, large estates, commercial developments, airplanes, and luxury vehicles, as reported by Valley Central.

Hamdani said that Yarrington's prison sentence ends a multi-year, multi-agency international agency, which extended to two continents.

Once he is out of prison, he is expected to be deported. He will remain in custody until he is moved to a federal prison in the United States.

He was once a major political key figure in Mexico, even landing a presidential candidacy in 2005.

Telemundo reported that he was arrested in April 2017 in Italy while he was traveling with a fake passport. He was then taken into custody based on an accusation filed in May 2013.

U.S. authorities noted that they expect Yarrington Ruvalcaba will face "removal proceedings" to Mexico, where he is also facing an investigation.

Bribery in Mexico

Corruption in Mexico is described by Anti-Corruption Center as "multifaceted and widespread."

In addition, it is considered to be the "most concerning problem for Mexicans," based on a 217 Pew Survey. It is also the most important electoral issue for Mexican voters, as cited by a July 2018 poll by Parametria.

Mexico also ranks 138 out of 180 countries in the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index, with a score of 28. It was below the global average of 43 and the regional average of 44.

The average cost of a bribe for Mexican households increased by around 20% between 2007 and 2010

A recent case of bribery revealed was the case of Mexico's former security chief Genaro Garcia Luna.

Garcia Luna was convicted for accepting bribes from El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for information and help.

He is one of the highest-ranking Mexican officials to be accused of having connections to Mexican drug cartels.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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