Translated by El Profe for Borderland Beat from Riodoce
The former governor of Tamaulipas, Eugenio Hernández Flores (2005-2010), was arrested Friday in Ciudad Victoria by the State Attorney General's Office, who filed an arrest warrant against him for embezzlement and money laundering.
Through the alias Alberto Berlanga and the company GMC S.A. de C.V. of Altamira, Hernández Flores made a 2007 purchase transaction of $16 million pesos for a 1,600 hectare plot of land located in the Industrial Port of Altamira, which is property of the state, and actually valued at $866 million pesos.
According to the agency in a press release, the purchase and sale transaction involved the companies Materials and Construction Villa de Aguayo, owned by Fernando Cano Martinez, alleged alias of Tomás Yarrington (predecessor of Eugenio in the government of Tamaulipas) and GMC, SA of CV of Altamira, property of Berlanga Bolado, ex-secretary of Public Works and Urban Development under Hernández Flores.
Both the Cano and Berlanga construction companies became favorites for projects and for obtaining million-dollar contracts in order to carry out projects during the six year period of Tomás and Eugenio’s time in office.
It should be recalled that both ex-governors face arrest warrants in the United States. While Yarrington is awaiting a ruling on his extradition in Italy, the US has also asked Hernández Flores to be tried in the United States.
US Accusations
Against the Mexican ex-leader, two arrest warrants are being filed in the United States, where he is accused of money laundering and facilitating illegal money transfer operations. In June 2015, the State Department reported that the Southern Court of Texas accused the PRI member of conspiring with monetary instruments along with his brother-in-law Óscar Gómez Guerra. The complaint was filed since May 27 of that year.
The indictment included a $2 million USD confiscation notice on four properties, three of them located in McAllen and the other in Austin.
Last August he obtained legal protection against any order of arrest, search, location, presentation or summons in relation to his September 2017 research file, with a set warranty of $6,500 Pesos.
Hernández Flores is the successor of Tomás Yarrington who is currently imprisoned in Florence, after being captured on April 9th in Italy.