- Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha Moya has submitted a request for temporary leave to the State Congress to facilitate investigations into allegations against him.
- The US Justice Department charged Rocha Moya and nine others for allegedly collaborating with the Sinaloa cartel to distribute massive quantities of narcotics to the United States.
- Both the Governor and the Mayor of Culiacan, Juan de Dios Gamez, have stepped down, effectively removing their legal immunity and opening them up to official investigation.
- These charges have intensified diplomatic tensions between the administration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and US President Donald Trump, especially following the recent deaths of two US agents.
Governor Ruben Rocha Moya of Sinaloa has officially stepped down from his position following a stunning announcement by the United States Justice Department linking him to the notorious Sinaloa cartel.
Rocha Moya, a member of the Morena party, has maintained that the claims are both “false and malicious” but stated his resignation is necessary to allow for a transparent investigation.
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Joining him in resignation is Juan de Dios Gamez, the Mayor of Culiacan, who was also named in the US indictment.
The legal action represents the first time the United States has publicly leveled narcotrafficking charges against a sitting Mexican governor.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has responded by demanding “solid and irrefutable” evidence from Washington while facing increasing pressure to permit US intervention, such as military personnel or drone strikes, against the cartels.
The Sinaloa Cartel is currently designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration.
This development further complicates the relationship between the two nations, which was already sensitive following reports of CIA personnel deaths during a drug bust.
As Rocha Moya and Gamez vacate their offices, they lose the legal protections previously afforded to them by their titles, paving the way for further legal proceedings in both Mexico and potentially the United States.
