Nearly a decade after leaving the Veracruz governorship and just months away from seeking early release from the Reclusorio Norte prison, Javier Duarte de Ochoa faces a new legal twist that could definitively halt his release in 2026. The Guatemalan government authorized the Mexican Attorney General’s Office (FGR) to file new charges against him for alleged embezzlement of millions of dollars in federal funds, particularly those earmarked for the health sector during his administration (2010–2016).
The decision marks a turning point in one of the largest documented corruption cases in Mexico and opens the door for Duarte to face his first federal charges for embezzlement, a charge distinct from the crimes that led to his extradition eight years ago.
According to federal authorities, the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Corruption (FEMCC), headed by María de la Luz Mijangos, had requested authorization from the Guatemalan government months earlier to bring additional charges against Duarte. The request stemmed from the international principle of the “rule of specialty”: a country cannot prosecute an extradited person on charges other than those authorized in the original extradition order.
