Sinaloa Governor Steps Down Temporarily After US Drug Trafficking Indictment

The governor of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, Ruben Rocha Moya, announced on Friday that he would temporarily step down from his position. This decision came days after US prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging him and nine current or former Mexican officials with aiding a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The indictment, filed in New York, accuses the officials of helping the cartel import fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs into the US, shielding leaders from prosecution, and permitting drug-related violence. Rocha Moya, who has served as governor since 2021, denied the allegations in a video message.

He stated that the leave would facilitate Mexican authorities' investigation. Local lawmakers approved his request on Saturday and appointed Yeraldine Bonilla Valverde, previously the state’s Secretary of Government, as interim governor.

Prosecutors allege that Rocha Moya met with leaders of the cartel faction prior to his 2021 election and promised to install officials supportive of their operations if elected. The indictment claims cartel members stole ballot boxes and intimidated opponents to ensure his victory.

In exchange, the charged officials allegedly received millions of dollars in bribes. The cartel faction is led by sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, known as El Chapo. After El Chapo’s arrest, the Sinaloa Cartel split into two groups, one led by the sons and another by Ismael Zambada Garcia, known as El Mayo.

US authorities have previously charged leaders from both factions, with some extradited and pleading guilty.

Office stated on Friday that it found insufficient evidence to detain Rocha Moya for extradition. The office plans to request evidence from the US and review the case. Mexico’s president stated during a Thursday press conference that the government will not protect criminals but emphasized that any proceedings must follow Mexican law and sovereignty.

The president also suggested that without clear evidence, the US charges could be politically motivated. This response occurs amid strained US-Mexico relations, with the US administration pressing Mexico on drug smuggling and migration issues, including tariffs and designations of cartels as terrorist organizations.

“My conscience is clear, a lifetime of work backs my words." — Ruben Rocha Moya, Friday (CNN). Juan de Dios Gamez Mendivil, the mayor of Sinaloa’s capital Culiacan and one of the indicted officials, announced on Saturday that he would step down. He denied the allegations. The indictment ties these actions to broader cartel support, including protection from investigations.”

Zambada Garcia, who pleaded guilty in the US in 2024, previously accused Rocha Moya of involvement in his capture, which Rocha Moya denied. The US approach has escalated tensions, with Mexico rejecting potential US military actions on its soil. Vanda Felbab-Brown, an expert on non-state armed groups at the Brookings Institution, described the charging of elected Mexican officials as a major escalation.

She noted it as a step long considered extreme in US strategy against cartels. The US has imposed tariffs to leverage action on migration and drugs, while Mexico has increased counter-cartel cooperation but defended its sovereignty.