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Daniel Aguilar / Reuters, file
Tomas Yarrington, of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, seen in Mexico City May 23, 2005, is a fugitive over suspicions he aided drug traffickers.
MCALLEN, Texas -- The U.S. government seized a luxury Texas condominium purportedly owned by a fugitive former Mexican governor wanted on suspicion of aiding drug traffickers, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Tuesday.
Federal prosecutors for the southern district of Texas said the $640,000 condominium on South Padre Island is owned by the former governor of Mexico's Tamaulipas state, Tomas Yarrington, also the former national leader of Mexico's ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI.
Prosecutors allege that the property was purchased with money that came from Mexican drug traffickers.
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Yarrington served as governor of Tamaulipas from 1999 to 2004 and unsuccessfully ran for president in 2005. Before that, he was mayor of Matamoros, the U.S.-Mexican border hometown of the Gulf Cartel, once one of that country's dominant drug-trafficking gangs.
In June, Yarrington denied the allegations against him in the United States, although he has still not come forward to face a warrant issued for his arrest in Mexico in August.
As protesters clashed, incoming Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said he aims to reduce drug-related violence, which has killed more than 60,000 people in the last six years. NBC's Lester Holt has more.
Senior PRI politicians say in private Yarrington could end up behind bars to show the party is serious about fighting corruption.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos granted the government's motion to take full possession of the condo, sell it and pay off taxes and homeowners' association fees owed, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release.
The government expects to sell the property at a public auction "in the near future."
A civil forfeiture complaint alleges that Napoleon Rodriguez, a business associate of Yarrington, made a straw purchase of the condo in 1998 so the politician would avoid attention from U.S. authorities.
Mexico's new president takes office -- 'establishment guy' returns PRI to power
Court records show Yarrington began investing millions from drug-trafficking kickbacks in various properties in Mexico and Texas after he left public office, prosecutors said.
Rodriguez is currently in custody in Mexico.
The case against Yarrington, who was suspended in May from the PRI, emerged ahead of Mexico's presidential election in July as the centrist party attempted to shed its reputation for graft.
Mexico seeks to pivot relationship with US as new president takes office
The PRI ruled Mexico from 1929 to 2000, and returned to power earlier this month after the election of President Enrique Pena Nieto.
Pena Nieto has vowed to fight organized crime and end the drug violence that claimed more than 60,000 lives during the term of former president Felipe Calderon.
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Nieto ran successfully for the presidency by promising to reduce the violence associated with Calderon's war against the drug cartels. The ONLY way to accomplish that goal is to reduce the pressure on the cartels. Nieto will do that by limiting the role of the military, working out agreements between cartels concerning areas of control and restricting prosecutions to those who don't cooperate with the agreements. In the process, he will entirely end the pursuit of marijuana smugglers given that it is now legal in two US states. He will be largely successful. The level of violence in Ciudad Juarez has already declined my more than half.
indigena...That sounds like a lovely fairy tale. Unfortunately, this is Mexico we are talking about. A failed state since it's inception that will never meet the needs of their own people. Well unless those people help them to enrich themselves.
Mexico and their people are a lost cause. Those illegal Mexican immigrants in America are a lost cause because they have been under a system of criminal rule for far too long.
We should follow the example of Mire y Teran...No more settlers from Mexico. Encourage european immigration instead. Assure that all Mexican immigrants, legal and illgal, property owners and business owners, pay their share of taxes. We should make sure that any child of Mexican immigrants who choose to keep Mexican citizenship pay an out of state rate to go to American schools K-College. We need to stop considering family connection in offering green cards and actually examine if an individual is worthy of living in the United States. After all if a family member is not willing to sponsor their relative personally then something is probably wrong.
Translation: Let the cartels do what they want and hope they stop shooting civilians while they kill each other off.
Hi, DB -
You got it! Mexico has been run that way for centuries. There are two classes of citizens.. the patrons and the peons. The peons don't dare rise up and complain about anything.
Well, until they get to the US. Then they complain about everything.
Vin...I have actually made that very suggestion before. If illegals will not self-deport then the government should seize all assets, sell and use the proceeds to pay for their cheapest transit to the border or home country. Then what is left should be divided between the State medical system, and the city and county in which they lived. This system would actually get many of the sanctuary cities to change their tune, you know since this could potentially be a profitable situation for them. It would also allow for more efficient processing of green cards etc for those immigrants who have good intentions and will enrich communities instead of stagnate them.
When will they auction off Yellowstone NP to pay the Chinese?
Chinese? People who like Walmart like our trade deficit with China. Walmart was the biggest lobby pushing for importing cheap goods from China a couple years ago. Walmart -- they analyze areas to make sure there are enough poor people to shop at the store they plan to build. Really!Predatory. People have nerve harping about the trade deficit with China and then shopping at Walmart.
Back on topic-I agree Mexico is a failed state. There is a seamless connection between many government officials, police, and the cartels. Look at how many young women have disappeared and people getting beheaded like its commonplace. Crazy.
Most countries do not allow non citizens to own properties.In Mexico you can only have a 99 year land lease if you are a Mexican citizen.The United states should not allow non citizens to own any real estate as we are slowing selling our country out from under us.
I believe "just a cleaning lady" you are not correct.
I know many Americans who own property in foreign countries and vice versa. If we restricted sale of property to only Americans, our private and commercial real estate would be in more trouble than it's in.
I do believe we should somehow restrict a percentage of foreign owned land in the US but I don't know how that could be done!
Vera,I disagree with you.Foreigners are not the solution to our real estate wows especially criminals from other countries.
Vin1112,Chicago is considered one of the biggest drug hubs in the U.S.Move to our state of California where the weather is nicer.
every bary forget some time drug are consume in usa stop all drug/ass in usa forget grug dealers
in mexico you are a HAVE or HAVE NOT, those who have, got theirs from Drugs. Is this really a story?
Then I guess I'm a drug dealer then?
I think you need to read and travel a little bit more so you can start using that gray matter inside your head...
If we as Americans did not give the narco market a place to do business, they would not exist. Drug users in the United States are surely keeping the Mexican drug lords in business!! So for those of you who place 100% OF the blame squarely on the Mexicans, remember: WE AMERICANS ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM BY BEING CONSUMERS OF THEIR DRUGS!
Vera,That may be true but with our borders not being secure we have given the people from Mexico among other countries that smuggle drugs into the U.S. carte blanche to come and go as they please.
READ MY LIPS NOTHING GOOD EVER CAME FROM MEXICO.It is time we start asking for papers no papers then we shoot.
You can't condemn an entire country based on the acts of a crooked politician. Based on your thinking, I'd hate to contemplate what the world must think of us. Also, my wife is from México and she is wonderful.
If the state can appropriate property that was purchased by monies earned from aiding and abbetting enemies of the state, then those 2 big British banks that were just fined a measly 9% of their profits for money laundering for Mexican drug cartels, and in the process also aiding both Iran and al-Qaida, should have all of their assests seized. That this will never happen is proof that corporations already rule the world.
CLOSE THE BORDER and let these drug dealers kill each other off. Maybe it will reduce their overpopulation problem. Sounds cold? It is cold but Americans need to decide if they want to protect their own children or let the borders be overrun with desperate often dangerous Mexicans coming illegally into this country. Currently American teenagers particularly blond teenage girls are being kidnapped and transported back into Mexico for the sex trade.
Wake up demand from your government that they must close the border. Shoot to kill anyone who tries to cross over. This is a war America can not lose.
No problem, close the border. You'll still get the drugs and big criminals inside your country. As long as there is a demand for drugs the cartels will find a way to get them there.
Where did you read that? I would love to read it too!
Sophie I disagree about not being able to close the border. It can and must be done. It is not just the drugs we have to worry about. Currently South and Central America is experiencing an alarming rise in kidnappings for ransom. This is already happening in the US. You may wish to start your search with the Discovery Channels program Search and Rescue. There are numerous articles on the subject if you wish to google American girls kidnapped for sex trade in Mexico.
Run 'em ALL out & make 'them' PROVE thier way back in!!!!
Ya know, there is corruption from the top to the bottom in each and ever country around the world... when you gain power within a country, you are exposed to vast amounts of money with no checks and balances...
Well,it'll be no more than 6-7 generations when my heirs and yours are patriots taking their country back from corrupt politicians