Fmr. Mexican Border State Governor Sent to U.S. Prison for Money Laundering

A former border state governor was sent to prison for three years for laundering millions in bribes and embezzled public funds.

This month, Jorge Juan Torres Lopez, a former governor of Coahuila, went before U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos who sentenced him to 36 months behind bars with deportation to follow. Torres Lopez pleaded guilty to a count of money laundering on June 16, 2020.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Torres Lopez worked for the Coahuila government in various capacities from 1994 to 2011–including cabinet-level positions and as interim governor. During his time in office, Torres Lopez collected multi-million dollar bribes from government contractors and construction companies. The politician then moved the money to the U.S. for laundering.

Torres Lopez and other former Coahuila officials were linked to a massive embezzlement operation that funneled state funds into political campaigns, known as the Estafa Maestra or Master Scam. Torres Lopez did not plead guilty to any charges connected to that scheme, however, it remains unclear if he could face further charges in Mexico.

Torres Lopez’s boss and former Coahuila Governor Humberto Moreira were named in a money laundering investigation in the U.S., which led to his arrest in Spain. It remains unclear if Moreira will face charges in the U.S. During Moreira’s term and the time that Torres Lopez served from 2005 to 2011, Los Zetas Cartel enjoyed complete impunity and carried out mass killings without consequences.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.