In another victory for Trump’s America agenda, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported Tomas Jesus Yarrington Ruvalcaba, a 68-year-old former governor of Tamaulipas, Mexico, on April 9, 2025. The former Mexican presidential candidate was turned over to Mexican authorities as he was wanted for organized crime and money laundering charges in connection with a massive criminal empire.
For context, in 2021, he pleaded guilty to money laundering charges and was sentenced to 108 months for laundering over $3.5 million in bribes. The disgraced Mexican politician was apprehended in Italy in 2017 and later extradited to the U.S. in 2018. Most recently, an immigration judge ordered his deportation in February 2025.
In any case, at the time of the conviction, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani slammed Ruvalcaba for his corruption, saying, “Even if you are governor of a Mexican state, we will not stand idly by when you use your position to wrongfully fill your pockets and violate the laws of the United States.”
Continuing the condemnation, the attorney added, “Today’s prison sentence for Yarrington concludes a multi-year, multi-agency international investigation spanning two continents, concluding in bringing a corrupt politician to justice.”
Adding additional context, DEA Special Agent Daniel C. Comeaux stated, “There will always be zero tolerance for those who abuse their power for self-gain at our communities’ expense. This sentence highlights our continued commitment to bringing those who misuse that power to justice.”
Building on this point, Comeaux explained, “The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HSI, IRS-CI and FBI, along with our state, local and international law enforcement partners, were a force multiplier in this case who collaborated to halt the threat of corrupt money into our country.”
Offering another perspective, Craig Larrabee a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said, “HSI relentlessly disrupts and dismantles transnational criminal organizations that pose a threat to U.S. national security, to include any corrupt public officials who use their position for criminal gain,” adding, “HSI is dedicated and determined to investigate those involved in criminal activity and who launder their ill-gotten gains in the United States.”
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Exposing the financial aspects of Ruvalcaba’s criminal empire, Rodrick J. Benton of IRS-CI’s Houston Field Office said, “IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI) special agents are experts in following the money in a financial crime, and we found plenty of money to follow that helped to unravel Yarrington’s criminal enterprise.”
Building on this point, special agent Benton said, “Working alongside other law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the other U.S. and international partners helps U.S. taxpayers know that justice is a global concept and no criminal is out of reach.”
Slaming the corrupt politician, FBI agent Oliver E. Rich Jr. declared, “This individual took advantage of his position to enrich himself at the expense of those who trusted him. Today’s sentencing serves as a powerful reminder to any corrupt official that these activities will not be tolerated. The FBI remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to hold corrupt officials accountable to the communities they were sworn to serve.”