BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A former governor for the border state of Tamaulipas is currently facing close to a dozen charges in a U.S. court accusing him of drug trafficking, money laundering, and racketeering. Prosecutors claim the Mexican politician worked with the Gulf, Los Zetas, and Beltran Leyva Cartels.
An old campaign video obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed when a young Tomas Yarrington claimed that he would reform the police forces in Tamaulipas.
In the short video, the former politician promised that he would restore safety to the border state, however, court documents filed against him claim that he was actually working with drug cartels since 1998. Yarrington served as governor of Tamaulipas from 1999 to 2005; however, he is currently in U.S. custody facing close to a dozen charges tied to his role as a cartel subordinate. Many of the leading police officers in Tamaulipas during Yarrington’s term eventually became cartel lieutenants and some were tried and convicted in U.S. courts.
Yarrington was labeled as a fugitive by the U.S. Department of Justice, however, the politician lived in Mexico with government-paid bodyguards. The former politician was eventually captured in Italy and then extradited to Texas.
Yarrington’s successor, Eugenio Hernandez, is currently at a prison in the state he once led. Hernandez also faces federal charges in Texas for money laundering and awaits extradition.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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