The governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa resigns after…

The governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa said Friday he will temporarily resign from his post, days after he was indicted in the United States on drug trafficking charges.

Ruben Rocha Moya, Sinaloa’s governor since 2021, and nine current or former high-ranking Mexican officials were charged in a five-count indictment unsealed Wednesday with allegedly aiding a cartel faction led by the Chapitos, the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as El Chapo.

Local lawmakers on Saturday approved Rocha Moya’s request to take a leave of absence and appointed Yeraldine Bonilla Valverde as interim governor.

Until now, Bonilla Valverde has been government secretary of Sinaloa.

New York prosecutors allege that Rocha Moya met with the Chapitos before his election and assured them that, if elected, he would put in power officials sympathetic to their drug trafficking operations. According to the indictment, cartel members stole ballot boxes and kidnapped or intimidated opponents into abandoning the race to ensure victory.

In a video message released Friday evening, Rocha reiterated his denial of the accusations, saying his request to step aside aims to “facilitate the action of the Mexican authorities” in the investigation.

Rocha’s announcement came hours after Mexico’s attorney general’s office reported finding there was insufficient evidence to provisionally detain him for extradition to the United States.

The office added that it will request evidence from the United States and review the case.

Rocha’s leave request still needs to be approved by the State Congress.

“My conscience is clear, a lifetime of work confirms my words,” he said in his message.

Rocha took office as governor of Sinaloa in 2021 after winning that year’s election as a candidate for Morena, the same party as Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum.

During her daily press conference on Thursday, the president read a statement saying that her government will not protect anyone who has committed a crime, but that it will be up to the Attorney General’s Office to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed against Rocha or not.

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Sheinbaum also rejected possible interventionist actions by the United States, which, since Donald Trump began his second presidential term, has insisted that Mexico is not acting firmly enough against organized crime.

In the indictment, U.S. prosecutors allege that current and former Mexican officials helped the cartel import fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs from Mexico into the United States; protected cartel leaders from investigation and prosecution; and enabled drug-related violence. In exchange, according to the indictment, the defendants received a total of millions of dollars.

After El Chapo’s arrest, the cartel split into two groups: one led by the Chapitos and the other by Ismael Zambada Garcia, known as El Mayo.

US authorities had previously charged the Chapitos. Two were extradited to the United States and pleaded guilty. The other two brothers remain at large in Mexico. Zambada was also charged and brought to the United States in 2024 to face charges. He also pleaded guilty.

Zambada had previously accused Rocha of being involved in an alleged encounter that led to his capture. Rocha denied any involvement at the time. [CNN]

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