Title: "Governor of Sinaloa Temporarily Steps Down Amid Drug Trafficking Accusations
The governor of a Mexican state has decided to temporarily step down amid accusations of ties to drug trafficking. Ruben Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa, and nine others were charged by the U.S. Justice Department for collaborating with the Sinaloa cartel in distributing narcotics to the United States. Rocha Moya, a member of President Claudia Sheinbaum's Morena party, has denied the allegations and submitted his request for a leave of absence to the State Congress.
President Sheinbaum stated that Mexico would only extradite officials to the U.S. if presented with undeniable evidence of cartel connections. This marks the first time the U.S. has publicly charged a sitting governor or high-ranking official with narcotrafficking. Rocha Moya, who has been governor of Sinaloa since 2021, is closely associated with former president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
In a previous scandal involving the Sinaloa cartel in 2023, Rocha Moya's name appeared in a letter written by a cartel capo who was later handed over to U.S. authorities. The governor now faces federal charges, including narcotics importation conspiracy and possession of illegal weapons, with potential severe penalties if convicted.
Juan de Dios Gamez, the mayor of Culiacan, Sinaloa's capital, also announced his resignation following the charges. Both men are no longer protected by immunity and can be investigated further. These developments have strained diplomatic relations with the U.S., particularly after the recent deaths of two American agents linked to a drug bust operation.
The Sinaloa cartel, one of six Mexican narcotrafficking groups labeled as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration, has further complicated the situation. President Sheinbaum has been under pressure to consider U.S. intervention, such as drone strikes or military involvement, to combat the cartels.