An alleged front man for fugitive Veracruz ex-Gov. Javier Duarte has acquired a string of properties in a suburb of Houston, Texas, offering a further demonstration of the importance of the United States in laundering the proceeds of criminal activity in Mexico.
Facing dozens of criminal complaints against him and his subordinates, former Gov. Duarte took a leave of absence from his post in mid-October, just a couple of months before he was set to leave office, and subsequently went underground.
Investigators have focused largely on Duarte’s possible theft of public money. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that $2.6 billion of federal transfers to Veracruz remain unaccounted for. Animal Político has reported that authorities have identified 33 shell companies that received hundreds of millions in contracts from Duarte’s government without providing the goods and services promised.
Read related TYT article on Duarte’s alleged Miami properties.
Duarte has also been accused of fostering ties to drug cartels, presumably giving them free reign in the state in exchange for bribes. An alleged commander of the Zetas told VICE News earlier this year that Duarte originally struck a deal with the notorious crime group, but betrayed them in favor of the Jalisco Cartel.
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Source: insightcrime.org