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Ex-Chihuahua Governor César Duarte Arrested on Federal Money-Laundering Charge

The case proceeds after U.S. authorities authorized Mexico to pursue charges beyond those tied to his 2022 extradition.

Overview

  • Federal agents detained Duarte in Chihuahua around 2 p.m. on Dec. 8 under a May 16, 2024 warrant for alleged operations with illicit proceeds.
  • He was transferred late Monday to the Altiplano federal prison, arriving at 11:21 p.m., and is expected to be presented to a federal judge on Dec. 9.
  • Prosecutors allege he used the Mexican financial system to conceal state funds diverted during his governorship in a scheme characterized as money laundering.
  • Mexico requested U.S. consent on Oct. 4, 2024 to prosecute offenses beyond those in his extradition, and received authorization on Dec. 4, 2025.
  • Duarte was first arrested in Miami in 2020 and extradited in 2022 to face state charges of embezzlement and criminal association, which remain pending as he is presumed innocent.