Sinaloa Governor Rocha returns to office after US cartel charges
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Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha returned to office on Friday after more than three months of leave following U.S. drug trafficking charges alleging ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. Mexican authorities found no evidence to support the accusations, Rocha said. The move is likely to deepen strains between Mexico and the United States.
Key Facts
- Ruben Rocha, 77, is a member of Mexico's ruling Morena party and resumed his duties as Sinaloa governor on Friday.
- U.S. prosecutors alleged Rocha and nine other current and former officials conspired with the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel to traffic drugs into the United States.
- Mexico has declined to act on U.S. efforts to bring Rocha into custody, saying Washington has not provided sufficient evidence for arrest warrants or extradition.
- Rocha stepped aside temporarily in early May as Mexican authorities reviewed the case.
Return to Office
Rocha said he was resuming his duties after Mexican authorities found no evidence to support the accusations against him. In a statement posted on X, Rocha denied wrongdoing and cast the U.S. case as a politically motivated attack on Mexico's sovereignty and on the leftist movement led by President Claudia Sheinbaum. He said on Friday he was returning with his "head held high."
US Allegations
For U.S. officials, the April indictment marked a rare expansion of anti-cartel action beyond drug bosses to include a sitting senior Mexican politician. U.S. prosecutors alleged Rocha and nine other current and former officials conspired with a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel known as Los Chapitos, helping it traffic drugs into the United States in exchange for political support and bribes. Rocha has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Bilateral Tensions
Mexico has so far declined to act on U.S. efforts to bring Rocha into custody, saying Washington has not provided sufficient evidence to justify domestic arrest warrants or extradition. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Sinaloa Governor Rocha returns to office after US cartel charges
