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April 19, 2017Washington, DC, United StatesStatement

Joint statement by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Mexican Attorney General Raul Cervantes Andrade on Tomas Yarrington Arrest

WASHINGTON - Today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Mexican Attorney General Dr. Raúl Cervantes Andrade released the following statement on the arrest of Tomas Yarrington:

"The detention of Mexican ex-Governor Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba, on April 9, 2017, in Florence, Italy, was the result of law enforcement cooperation between Mexican, Italian and U.S. authorities.

"Yarrington faces serious charges in both the United States and Mexico, which arise out of criminal acts allegedly committed in both countries during Yarrington's tenure as Governor of the State of Tamaulipas from 1999-2004.

"After careful analysis of the evidence and potential penalties of both the U.S. and Mexican charges against Yarrington, and in accordance with the priority given to competing extradition requests pursuant to Article 13 of the Extradition Treaty between Italy and Mexico, and Article 15 of the Extradition Treaty between Italy and the United States, the governments of the United States and Mexico have agreed that, in the event of a favorable decision by the Italian judicial authorities regarding both the United States' and Mexico's extradition requests, as well as a favorable decision on both requests by the Italian Minister of Justice, the United States and Mexican governments have agreed to request that the Italian Minister of Justice grant precedence to the United States' request and also to seek the authorization of the Italian Minister of Justice for the re-extradition of Yarrington to Mexico in accordance with Article 16 of the U.S.-Italy Extradition Treaty.

"The United States and Mexico have agreed that upon the conclusion of the U.S. prosecution of Yarrington, and upon a determination of extraditability pursuant to the U.S.-Mexico extradition treaty, he will be temporarily surrendered to Mexico so that he may be brought to justice for the offenses charged against him there.

"Both the United States and Mexico have made a further commitment to exchange information and to collaborate with their respective prosecutions against Yarrington, and to utilize all available legal instruments for that purpose.

"The United States and Mexico extend their thanks to the Government of Italy and its law enforcement authorities for their apprehension of Yarrington. We also extend our gratitude to Interpol, the Mexican Attorney General's Office (PGR), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, for their diligent work in locating and arresting the fugitive. This arrest is another example of the United States' and Mexico's shared commitment to combat corruption and transnational organized crime."

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