Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya has requested a temporary leave of absence of indefinite duration, just a day after unexpectedly resuming his post following a three-month leave linked to U.S. drug-trafficking charges.
Rocha, 77, submitted the request to the Sinaloa state congress on Saturday after facing swift political backlash from both the federal government and his own ruling Morena party. The governor had initially stepped down in May after U.S. federal prosecutors unsealed a landmark indictment accusing him and nine other officials of collaborating with the “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The charges allege that Rocha provided cartel protection and facilitated narcotics smuggling in exchange for bribes and political backing.
Upon returning to office on Friday, Rocha proclaimed his innocence, calling the allegations a politically motivated attack on President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration. However, his unannounced return quickly drew sharp pushback. The Mexican Interior Ministry distanced itself, clarifying that Rocha had acted independently and noting that the Mexican Attorney General’s Office continues its own investigation into the matter.
President Sheinbaum signaled disapproval in a social media post, writing that “power without principles becomes arrogance” and emphasizing that no individual’s personal interests should outweigh those of the nation. Shortly thereafter, Rocha echoed the sentiment in a statement on X, acknowledging that the interests of Sinaloa and the country must come first.
The situation underscores ongoing strains between the U.S. and Mexico over security and sovereignty. While Mexican officials maintain that Washington has not provided sufficient evidence to warrant Rocha’s arrest or extradition, his brief return exposed growing internal political rifts within the ruling party over how to navigate high-level U.S. cartel indictments against sitting Mexican politicians.
With infromation from Reuters
