Overview
- Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office said a suspect was taken into custody for allegedly laundering funds diverted from Chihuahua state coffers.
- Official communications identified the detainee only as “César N” under identity-protection rules, and a federal agent confirmed to the Associated Press that it is César Duarte.
- Mexico sought U.S. authorization in October 2024 to bring the laundering case, and the approval arrived last week, enabling federal action.
- Duarte was extradited by the United States and returned to Mexico in 2022, and a judge granted him house arrest in June 2024 in the separate embezzlement case.
- Duarte’s lawyer, Juan Carlos Mendoza Luján, said the defense is gathering information and contends the detention appears unlawful, as prosecutors allege roughly $5 million was siphoned during his governorship.