April 17 (UPI) — Javier Duarte, who became a symbol of government corruption in Mexico, was captured in Guatemala and transferred to a military prison on Sunday following six months on the run.
He was found Saturday night holed up in a hotel with his wife in the tourist town of Panajachel on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala’s highlands.
The former governor of Veracruz state faces extradition to Mexico, where he is wanted on suspicion of embezzling millions intended for social programs and of involvement in organized crime.
Duarte, 43, resigned on Oct. 12 to face corruption allegations, then disappeared — but not from the headlines.
In December, Veracruz state police raided a property belonging to Duarte and recovered millions worth of stolen goods.
In January, Mexico’s Ministry of Health said it was investigating allegations that children battling cancer were given water instead of chemotherapy under Duarte.
In March, Mexican authorities heaped some of the blame on Duarte after discovering “an enormous mass grave” in Veracruz.
