Mexican federal authorities have taken former Chihuahua governor César Duarte into custody as they move forward with plans to charge him with laundering public funds allegedly diverted during his time in office. Duarte — identified publicly only as “César N” under privacy rules for the accused — had previously been extradited from the United States to face state embezzlement charges and was living under house arrest. His attorney, Juan Carlos Mendoza Luján, said his legal team was still gathering details but argued that the detention appeared to lack proper legal grounds. According to Attorney General Ernestina Godoy, a suspect linked to the laundering of illicit funds was detained, and a federal agent later confirmed that the individual was Duarte.
Duarte served as governor from 2010 to 2016 and left for the United States with his family in 2016, saying he sought medical treatment for injuries from a helicopter crash. Mexican prosecutors have accused him of embezzling nearly $5 million in state money, leading to his arrest by U.S. authorities and extradition in 2022. A judge granted him house arrest in mid-2024 while the embezzlement case continued. Later that year, Mexico sought permission from the U.S. to file additional money-laundering charges, a request approved last week, clearing the way for the new federal case now unfolding.
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