Mexican Governor And Mayor Indicted By U.s. On Drug Trafficking Charges Step Down

MEXICO CITY — Two members of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s statement successful northwestern Sinaloa authorities said they would temporarily measurement down from their posts aft nan United States charged them and 8 different officials pinch supplier trafficking successful a bombshell indictment that has shaken nan governmental establishment.

In a short video announcement posted astatine midnight Friday, Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya, nan highest-ranking charismatic named successful nan indictment, denied accusations that he protected nan powerful Sinaloa cartel and helped it smuggle narcotics into nan U.S. successful speech for millions of dollars successful bribes.

“My conscience is clear,” he said. “To my group and to my family, I tin look you successful nan oculus because I person ne'er betrayed you, and I ne'er will.”

But he said he would return a impermanent time off of absence to take sides himself against what he called nan “false and malicious” allegations and cooperate pinch nan Mexican government’s investigation to find whether he should beryllium arrested aliases extradited to nan U.S.

Juan de Dios Gámez Mendívil, politician of nan Sinaloa authorities superior Culiacán, besides said he would measurement down and nan city’s comptroller was appointed interim politician connected Saturday. Gámez Mendívil has denied nan charges against himself.

Sheinbaum, who has struggled to strike a equilibrium between nan interests of her progressive Morena statement and unit from President Trump to measurement up nan conflict against cartels, says she hasn’t seen reliable grounds against Rocha Moya but vowed that Mexican authorities would analyse nan cases and stitchery their ain information.

She declared that nan officials would beryllium tried successful Mexico, not nan U.S., if location is reliable grounds against them.

“We will ne'er subordinate ourselves because this is simply a matter of nan dignity of nan Mexican people,” she said Friday.

Pending investigation, nan Mexican lawyer general’s agency said it would not apprehension Rocha Moya aliases nan different indicted officials, arsenic requested by nan U.S.

Rocha Moya, a staunch state of Sheinbaum’s mentor, erstwhile President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has insisted nan indictment against him and different members of nan Morena statement magnitude to an onslaught connected nan ascendant left-leaning governmental movement.

“I will not let myself to beryllium utilized to harm nan activity to which I beryllium — 1 that has improved nan lives of millions of Mexican men and women,” he said successful nan video.

As governor, Rocha Moya has immunity from criminal prosecution. Mexico’s Congress must first impeach him if he is to look charges.

The indictment of Rocha Moya, who was calved successful nan aforesaid municipality arsenic nan notorious Mexican supplier kingpin “El Chapo,” was notable because nan politician was embroiled successful a ungraded successful 2024 involving nan Sinaloa cartel.

His sanction was published successful a missive written by a then-Sinaloa cartel capo who was kidnapped by leaders of a rival faction and handed disconnected to rule enforcement successful nan U.S. In nan letter, nan capo said that erstwhile he was kidnapped he was connected his measurement to meet pinch Rocha Moya.