United States prosecutors have charged Mexico’s Sinaloa State Governor, Rubén Rocha Moya, along with nine current and former officials, alleging links to the Sinaloa Cartel in a move that could strain relations between the two countries.
An indictment unsealed on Wednesday in New York City claims that Rocha Moya, 76, and the others collaborated with cartel leaders to transport large quantities of narcotics into the United States in exchange for political support and bribes.
Prosecutors allege that this support extended to Rocha Moya’s 2021 election campaign, when members of the cartel’s “Chapitos” faction linked to the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán helped secure his victory.
According to the indictment, cartel operatives kidnapped and threatened opposition candidates and stole ballots cast for his rivals.
Authorities said the operation was aided by another defendant, Enrique Díaz Vega, who later became Rocha Moya’s secretary of administration and finance.
He allegedly provided the cartel with names and addresses of political opponents so they could be intimidated into withdrawing from the race.
The United States Department of Justice said most of the suspects were aligned with the sons of Guzmán, who is currently serving a life sentence in the United States.
“The Sinaloa Cartel is not just trafficking deadly drugs; it is a designated terrorist organization that relies on corruption and bribery to fuel violence and profit,” said Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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