<\/p>\n
The governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Ruben Rocha Moya, has returned to his post after facing accusations of drug trafficking from the United States government.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Rocha announced on social media that he had resumed his duties, after taking a leave of absence<\/a> on May 1.<\/p>\n list of 3 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n He used his post to maintain his innocence after the US charged him with protecting a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for help with his political career.<\/p>\n \u201cToday, I return to my responsibilities as governor of Sinaloa with a clear conscience and my head held high, with the power of the truth on our side,\u201d Rocha said.<\/p>\n \u201cLet there be no doubt: Now and always, I will defend \u2014 relentlessly and without compromise \u2014 my honour and that of my family.\u201d<\/p>\n Rocha is one of several Mexican officials who have faced criminal charges and other punitive measures under the second administration of US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has sought to crack down on crime across the Western Hemisphere, including by labelling gangs like the Sinaloa Cartel as \u201cforeign terrorist organisations\u201d.<\/p>\n Trump has also threatened military action in Mexico. He has accused the country\u2019s cartels of \u201corchestrating much of the bloodshed and chaos in this hemisphere\u201d and has depicted the Mexican government as overrun by criminal elements<\/a>.<\/p>\n On April 29, the Trump administration unsealed a criminal indictment against 10 Mexican officials and businessmen.<\/p>\n They included a senator representing Sinaloa, a public security secretary<\/a> for the state, the mayor of the city Culiacan and several high-ranking police leaders. Rocha was among the group that was indicted.<\/p>\n Previously a senator, he is considered a top official in the left-wing Morena party, which has become a dominant force in Mexican politics. His relationship with the party\u2019s founder, former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, stretches back decades.<\/p>\n In the indictment, the Trump administration accused Rocha of winning his election as governor in 2021 by collaborating with The Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel led by the children of imprisoned kingpin Joaquin \u201cEl Chapo\u201d Guzman.<\/p>\n The Chapitos, according to the court filings, stole ballots for Rocha\u2019s election rivals and kidnapped opposition members.<\/p>\n In return, US prosecutors alleged that Rocha allowed The Chapitos to \u201cinstall other corrupt officials in positions of power\u201d in the state of Sinaloa.<\/p>\n But\u00a0Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico\u2019s president and another Morena party leader, has called on the US government to provide definitive proof in the case.<\/p>\n \u201cNo Mexican citizen \u2014 regardless of political party affiliation, or whether they belong to a party at all, or whether they are a public official \u2014 should be denied a fair trial. If they are accused, there must be evidence to support that accusation,\u201d Sheinbaum said in May.<\/p>\n She also suggested the Mexican government should handle the case. \u201cWhat are we asking for? Simply: Do you have evidence against the governor who is on leave? Present it, so the prosecutor\u2019s office can conduct its investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n Rocha depicted his decision to temporarily leave office as a means of making himself available to the Mexican Attorney General\u2019s Office (FGR), which opened an investigation to check the validity of the US indictment.<\/p>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n