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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | June 2008 
Former Mexico Governor Convicted on Drug Charges
 Alexandra Olson - Associated Press
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| | This 21 June 2007 file photo shows the ex-Quintana Roo governor Mario Villanueva Madrid (C) when he was released from jail after being detained by police in Almoloya de Juarez, Mexico. (Reuters) | | |
Mexico City - A Mexican court sentenced a former state governor to 36 years in prison Wednesday for fomenting drug trafficking, overturning an earlier ruling that had imposed six years on lesser charges, his defense attorney said.
Mario Villanueva, who was governor of the Caribbean state of Quintana Roo from 1993 to 1996, is also fighting extradition to the United States on charges he helped traffickers ship drugs to the U.S. market.
A Mexico City federal court, acting on an appeal by prosecutors, convicted Villanueva of money laundering and fomenting drug trafficking, said defense attorney Horacio Garcia. He was sentenced to 36 years and nine months in prison.
Villanueva had been convicted by a lower court of money laundering but cleared of drug trafficking and organized crime charges. The former governor was released last year after serving six years in prison but was immediately re-arrested on the extradition request. Garcia said the extradition proceedings against Villanueva would continue.
The U.S. alleges that Villanueva offered aid or protection to traffickers who smuggled 200 tons of cocaine into the U.S. Prosecutors have said Villanueva received $500,000 for each of several shipments he aided.
Although other former Mexican governors have been suspected of having links to the drug trade, Villanueva would be the first one ever extradited to the U.S.
The government of President Felipe Calderon agreed to extradite Villanueva last year, but the former governor has appealed the decision. Garcia said Wednesday's ruling would only bolster their case that an extradition would subject Villanueva to being tried twice for the same offense.
Few drug lords have been extradited to the United States because they have argued they should face justice first in Mexico. But Calderon has shown greater willingness to extradite drug suspects to the U.S. since taking office in 2006.
Garcia said Villanueava would also appeal Wednesday's sentence.
The former governor's son, Carlos Mario Villanueva, said the ruling was politically motivated, and that authorities fought for the longer sentence because they were afraid of losing the extradition case.
Associated Press Writer Jorge Dominguez in Cancun, Mexico, contributed to this story. |
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