The United States Department of Justice revealed on Wednesday a formal indictment against Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and nine other state officials for alleged drug trafficking and weapons possession offenses. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York alleges that the defendants conspired with leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel to import massive quantities of narcotics—including fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine—in exchange for bribes and political support.
The list of officials named by U.S. authorities includes Senator Enrique Inzunza Cázares, Culiacán Mayor Juan de Dios Gámez Mendívil, and Deputy Attorney Dámaso Castro Saavedra. Also named are Enrique Díaz Vega, former Secretary of Administration and Finance; Marco Antonio Almanza Áviles and Alberto Jorge Contreras Núñez, both former heads of investigative police; Gerardo Mérida Sánchez, former Secretary of Public Security; and police commanders José Antonio Dionisio Hipólito and Juan Valenzuela Millán. According to the indictment, these commanders received monthly payments ranging from 100,000 to 300,000 pesos to protect cartel activities.
Court documents cited by El Universal detail that 'Los Chapitos' played a key role in Rocha Moya's 2021 electoral victory. The indictment alleges that, following a meeting early that year with Iván and Ovidio Guzmán, the cartel kidnapped and intimidated political opponents to force them out of the race, and also stole ballots and ballot boxes from polling stations on election day.
The case has intensified political confrontation in Mexico, with the National Action Party (PAN) launching an offensive against the Morena party. On social media, the PAN posted a comparison between Chihuahua Governor María Eugenia Campos and Rocha Moya, questioning voter loyalty in the face of criminal connection allegations. Campos Galván, who was recently targeted by criticism from Morena senators following a security operation in Chihuahua, stated: “Those who were going to make the Governor of Chihuahua appear are on this U.S. government red list.”
Morena Senator Oscar Cantón Zetina had previously called for clarification regarding the responsibility of the Campos administration following the deaths of two CIA agents during an operation in Chihuahua on April 19. In light of the new situation in Sinaloa, the Mexican government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has referred the arrest request for the ten individuals involved to the Attorney General's Office (FGR) for legal evaluation.
Governor Rocha Moya has rejected the accusations, calling them “slander” and asserting they lack merit. “This attack is not merely against me, but against the Fourth Transformation movement,” the governor stated, maintaining that he has the support of President Claudia Sheinbaum. Rocha Moya has declared that he will maintain his regular work schedule in Sinaloa despite the international pressure.
Rocha Moya's position has been under scrutiny since August 2024, when Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada revealed in a letter that on the day of his kidnapping and transfer to the United States, he had a scheduled meeting with the governor and the former rector of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa, Héctor Melesio Cuén Ojeda, to resolve political disputes. Experts consulted by El Universal have ruled out immediate extradition, suggesting that the accusations are intended to exert media and political pressure on the Mexican government.
