Former Mexican governor and presidential candidate Tomas Yarrington has been deported from a U.S. prison to face criminal charges in Mexico, where he’ll trade American low-security confinement for his homeland’s notoriously harsh prison system.
At a Glance
- Tomas Yarrington, 68, former governor of Tamaulipas (1999-2005) and presidential candidate, was deported to Mexico after serving
- part of his U.S. prison sentence for money laundering
- Yarrington was handed over to Mexican authorities at the San Ysidro Port of Entry between San Diego and Tijuana
- He faces serious charges in Mexico including organized crime, illegal transactions, and taking bribes from drug cartels
- Before his U.S. conviction, Yarrington was arrested in Italy in 2017 using fake identification after fleeing indictment
- He’s transitioning from a low-security U.S. prison to Mexico’s overcrowded, underfunded prison system
From Governor to Convicted Criminal
Tomas Jesus Yarrington Ruvalcaba, who served as governor of Tamaulipas, Mexico from 1999 to 2005, has been deported from the United States after serving time in a federal prison in Illinois. Yarrington, once a prominent figure in Mexico’s Institutional Revolutionary Party who ran for president in 2005, was serving a 108-month sentence after pleading guilty in 2021 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) transferred him to Mexican authorities on April 12, 2025, at the San Ysidro Port of Entry between San Diego and Tijuana.
Yarrington’s legal troubles began in 2013 when he was indicted in the United States on money laundering and drug-related charges. He evaded capture until 2017, when Italian authorities arrested him using a fake identity and passport. Despite contesting extradition, Italian officials transferred him to U.S. custody in April 2018. During his immigration hearings in February 2025, Yarrington waived his right to appeal the deportation order, effectively accepting his return to Mexican jurisdiction where additional charges await him.
A Legacy of Corruption
According to U.S. authorities, Yarrington’s criminal activities stretched throughout his political career. He accepted bribes during his governorship to facilitate business with the state and developed relationships with drug trafficking organizations. The investigation into his activities involved multiple U.S. agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office, highlighting the severity and scope of his criminal enterprise.
“Yarrington laundered his illegally obtained bribe money in the United States by purchasing beachfront condominiums, large estates, commercial developments, airplanes and luxury vehicles” – ICE.
Law enforcement officials specifically accused Yarrington of taking bribes from the Gulf Cartel and other drug traffickers during his time as both governor and mayor of Matamoros. He systematically used nominee buyers to purchase properties in the United States, effectively concealing the illicit origins of his wealth. These purchases included luxury residences and commercial investments that served as vehicles for laundering millions in dirty money, creating a vast portfolio of illegally obtained assets.
From American to Mexican Incarceration
The 68-year-old politician’s transfer from the Federal Correctional Institution Thomson in Illinois marks a dramatic change in his incarceration conditions. The U.S. facility, while restrictive, offered significantly better conditions than what awaits him in Mexico’s prison system. American federal prisons, even low-security ones, maintain certain standards of safety, healthcare, and basic amenities that are often lacking in Mexican correctional facilities.
“Mexico’s prison system is characterized by massive overcrowding, deteriorating physical facilities, poorly trained and vastly underpaid guards and other prison officials, system-wide corruption, and, most fundamentally, lack of money.” – Human Rights Watch.
Mexican authorities have been awaiting Yarrington’s return to face serious charges including organized crime and illegal transactions. These potential convictions could lead to lengthy prison terms in a system known for its harsh conditions. For the former political elite who once wielded significant power and enjoyed luxury acquisitions across the United States, the adjustment to Mexico’s overcrowded prison environment represents perhaps his most severe punishment yet, regardless of the length of any additional sentences he may receive.
