--- description: Lawyer Fernando Benitez says the case should have been handled as an extradition, not a deportation title: 'Affluenza' Teen's Mexican Lawyer Hints at Human Rights Issues image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd7679f8aaf246296/6988777fab6d771a3e6a7cfb/ap_104702306891.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 'Affluenza' Teen's Mexican Lawyer Hints at Human Rights Issues by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 5, 2016 3:36 AM CUT  Authorities identify Ethan Couch after he was taken into custody in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Dec. 28, 2015. Authorities identify Ethan Couch after he was taken into custody in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Dec. 28, 2015.Mexico's Jalisco state prosecutor's office/AP by [NBC News](/author/nbc-news/) ## NBC News Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 5, 2016 3:36 AM CUT Fugitive American teen Ethan “affluenza” Couch’s newly appointed Mexican lawyer said he took the case to make sure authorities aren’t gaming the system by trying to force him back to Texas without proper legal representation. “Maybe the Mexican authorities are going along with a plan to get him back quickly, but they’re disguising an extradition as a deportation, and that’s not cool,” the attorney, Fernando Benitez, told NBC News Monday. “We’re not gonna go along with that. Because, of course, human rights are being infringed upon.” Benitez, speaking in his Tijuana law office, said he has yet to meet or… [_Read the rest of the story from our partners at NBC News_ ](http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/affluenza-teen-s-mexican-lawyer-hints-human-rights-issues-n490071?cid=par-time%5F20160105 "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4167228/affluenza-teens-lawyer-mexico/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4167228/affluenza-teens-lawyer-mexico/"},"headline":"'Affluenza' Teen's Mexican Lawyer Hints at Human Rights Issues","datePublished":"2016-01-05T03:36:13.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T13:46:23.710Z","description":"Lawyer Fernando Benitez says the case should have been handled as an extradition, not a deportation","url":"https://time.com/4167228/affluenza-teens-lawyer-mexico/","keywords":["Crime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd7679f8aaf246296/6988777fab6d771a3e6a7cfb/ap_104702306891.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"NBC News","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nbc-news/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd7679f8aaf246296/6988777fab6d771a3e6a7cfb/ap_104702306891.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Mexico US Deadly Wreck Affluenza","caption":"Mexico US Deadly Wreck Affluenza","creditText":"Mexico's Jalisco state prosecutor's office/AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4167228/affluenza-teens-lawyer-mexico/","name":"'Affluenza' Teen's Mexican Lawyer Hints at Human Rights Issues"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Mother Of 'Affluenza' Teen Ethan Couch Deported Back To The US","description":"Tonya Couch, mother of the 'affluenza' teen Ethan Couch, has been extradited to the U.S. from Mexico for hindering the apprehension of a juvenile.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/5LLN7gaf/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-12-31T16:11:51.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/5LLN7gaf.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4167228/affluenza-teens-lawyer-mexico/","duration":"PT57S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4167228/affluenza-teens-lawyer-mexico/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```