Sinaloa Governor and Officials Charged by U.S. with Sinaloa Cartel Ties; Governor Resigns

U.S. Justice Department charged him and nine other officials with conspiring to aid the Sinaloa Cartel in importing massive quantities of narcotics into the United States. S.

Has publicly accused a sitting Mexican governor or high-ranking official of such narcotrafficking links, according to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. If convicted, Rocha Moya could face life in prison or a mandatory minimum of 40 years behind bars. Rocha Moya, a member of the ruling Morena party, denied the allegations, calling them false and ill-intended.

"I can look at my people and my family in the eye because I have not betrayed them and I will never betray them, and I will demonstrate that firmly at the moment when the institutions of justice of our country require it," he said in a statement. S.

Department of Justice accused Rocha Moya and other Morena officials of conspiring with Sinaloa Cartel leaders to import narcotics in exchange for political support and bribes.

At least three of the charged officials are affiliated with Morena, Mexico's ruling left-wing political party founded in 2014 and currently led by President Claudia Sheinbaum. Juan de Dios Gamez, the mayor of Culiacan, Sinaloa's capital, was also named in the charges and announced he would step down. Both men, by leaving office, no longer enjoy immunity and can be subject to investigation.

U.S. only if provided with irrefutable evidence of cartel links. S. before the resignations.

Rocha Moya has served as governor of Sinaloa since 2021 and is close to former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. He spoke at Sheinbaum's inauguration ceremony at the San Lazaro Legislative Palace in Mexico City on October 1, 2024, and was in Mexico City on that date.

In 2023, Rocha Moya was embroiled in a scandal involving the Sinaloa Cartel, where his name appeared in a letter written by a cartel capo.

U.S. law enforcement. S. agents, reportedly CIA personnel, in connection with a drug bust operation.

The Sinaloa Cartel is one of six Mexican narcotrafficking groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration. Rocha Moya belongs to the ruling Morena party and agreed to temporarily step aside to facilitate investigations. He decried the allegations as false and malicious, reiterating his denial in multiple statements.

U.S. intervention, such as drone strikes or military personnel, to fight cartels. S. charges against Rocha Moya and the other officials were filed this week.