US charges Mexican governor and other leaders with aiding drug cartel
US prosecutors have charged Sinaloa state Governor Rúben Rocha Moya and nine other Mexican officials with conspiring to aid the Sinaloa Cartel in drug trafficking in exchange for bribes and political support. The Mexican government responded that the US extradition request lacks sufficient evidence, calling into question the legal basis for the charges. The case marks a rare and sensitive moment in US-Mexico relations, particularly given Moya's affiliation with President Claudia Sheinbaum's ruling party.
- ▪Rúben Rocha Moya, the sitting governor of Sinaloa, is accused of aiding the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for political support and bribes.
- ▪The US indictment alleges that Moya and other officials protected a faction of the cartel known as Los Chapitos.
- ▪The Mexican Foreign Ministry stated that the US extradition documents do not include sufficient evidence to justify arrests.
- ▪DEA and US prosecutors claim corrupt officials are essential to the Sinaloa Cartel's ability to operate and traffic drugs into the United States.
- ▪The charges include nine current or former Mexican officials, such as a senator, a mayor, and a high-ranking policeman.
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US charges Mexican governor and other leaders with aiding drug cartel21 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleWill GrantBBC's Mexico, Central America and Cuba correspondentGetty ImagesUS prosecutors have accused the sitting governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Rúben Rocha Moya, of conspiring with cartel drug traffickers. Moya, who hails from the party of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, is charged alongside nine other current and former Mexican government officials.In response, the Mexican government released a statement saying the US documents requesting the groups' arrest and potential extradition lacked the sufficient evidence.There have long been allegations against Rocha, who is governor of a state where the powerful Sinaloa Cartel is based.
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