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 May 24, 2017 / Modified may 25, 2017 7:15 a.m.

Former Sonoran Official and His Wife Arrested In Tucson

He has not been charged with a crime, but is wanted in Mexico on corruption charges. by Michel Marizco, Fronteras Desk

A high-level official of the previous administration to govern the neighboring Mexican state of Sonora was arrested Monday in Tucson.

Roberto Romero was second in line to former Sonora Gov. Guillermo Padrés, who left office in 2015. That administration has been systematically dismantled under ongoing corruption charges. Even former Gov. Padrés was a fugitive until he surrendered last year. His spokesman, Jorge Morales, was imprisoned for more than a year on corruption charges.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Romero and his wife in Tucson on Monday. He has not been charged with a crime in the United States. But, according to Mexican prosecutors, he is wanted on corruption charges and is accused of using his influence in government to divert water from a river that later flooded several homes in Sonora.

Current Sonora Gov. Claudia Pavlovich told reporters in Mexico on Tuesday that the couple would be extradited to face charges in Mexico.

Fronteras Desk
This story is from the Fronteras Desk, a collaboration of Southwestern public radio stations, including NPR 89.1. Read more from the Fronteras Desk.
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