In Miami on Wednesday, July 8, Cesar Duarte, the fugitive former governor of the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, was apprehended.
He fled in 2017 after being accused of embezzling public funds and now faces extradition to Mexico, where he stands accused of diverting approximately $52 million in public funds.
In addition to the embezzlement charges, he is also alleged to have stolen hundreds of cows that were imported by the state to aid small-scale Mexican ranchers in replenishing their herds after a drought. He is also accused of leading a lavish lifestyle and misusing an official helicopter to transport friends and family to his ranch on weekends.
His arrest coincided with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s official visit to the US for discussions with President Trump.
Duarte is expected to appear at a federal court hearing in Miami within the next 72 hours to be informed of the charges against him in Mexico. He faces at least eight state and federal charges.
