US Indictments Issued Against Sinaloa Governor and Nine Others Over Alleged Links

US Charges Mexican Governor and Nine Officials with Links to Sinaloa Cartel

A federal indictment has been unsealed in New York against Ruben Rocha Moya, the governor of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, and nine current and former officials. The charges allege that Rocha Moya and the other defendants worked with leaders of the Sinaloa cartel to transport large quantities of narcotics into the United States.

According to the indictment, the defendants allegedly received political support and bribes in exchange for their cooperation. This support included assistance during Rocha Moya’s 2021 election campaign, where members of the cartel’s “Chapitos” faction allegedly helped secure his victory by intimidating opposition candidates and stealing ballot papers.

The US Justice Department has stated that most of the suspects were affiliated with the sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, a former Sinaloa cartel leader serving a life sentence in the United States. The DEA administrator, Terrance Cole, described the Sinaloa Cartel as a designated terrorist organization that relies on corruption and bribery to drive violence and profit.

Rocha Moya has denied the charges, calling them “baseless” and without evidence. He stated that the accusations are part of a broader political attack against him, the governing Morena movement, and its leadership.

The Mexican government has expressed concerns about the lack of sufficient evidence in the US documents requesting the arrests and potential extraditions. Indictments against sitting senior Mexican politicians are rare, and this case may signal a shift in Washington’s approach to tackling drug cartels.

Experts have noted that this case could lead to further indictments, as it represents a significant escalation in targeting alleged links between organized crime and political figures. The Brookings Institution think tank expert Vanda Felbab-Brown stated that the case is part of a broader sweep against the alleged crime-politics nexus in Sinaloa.

Source: Al Jazeera