The US Department of Justice has unsealed an indictment charging Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and nine other current and former officials for alleged ties to the Sinaloa cartel. The officials, some of whom are members of Mexico’s progressive ruling party, Morena, are accused of aiding the massive importation of illicit narcotics into the United States. Charges include drug trafficking, weapons offenses, and kidnapping, with the indictment specifically alleging that Rocha Moya conspired to move drugs in exchange for political support.
In a rare move against a sitting foreign official, the charges could result in life in prison for Rocha Moya as Washington steps up its crackdown on narcotics networks. The indictment alleges that the governor and other high-level officials worked directly with cartel leaders.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly backed Governor Rocha Moya on Thursday, stating that Mexico will act based only on the merits of the case. She asserted that the U.S. government must provide clear and irrefutable evidence linking the governor to drug cartels, and that such evidence must be in accordance with Mexican law before proceeding with extradition.
President Sheinbaum warned that without such evidence, the charges are politically motivated. However, she maintained that if the U.S. presents sufficient evidence, the Mexican prosecutor's office will proceed according to the law. The situation creates a political conundrum for Sheinbaum as she seeks to offset mounting pressures from the Trump administration.