The indictment paints a devastating picture of an outlaw state at the service of the Sinaloa cartel<\/a> \u2014 the multibillion-dollar syndicate co-founded by the infamous Joaqu\u00edn \u201cEl Chapo\u201d Guzm\u00e1n, now serving a life sentence in the United States.<\/p>\n A 2014 photo of Joaquin \u201cEl Chapo\u201d Guzman, the former head of Mexico\u2019s Sinaloa Cartel, being escorted to a helicopter in Mexico City following his capture in the beach resort town of Mazatlan. <\/p>\n (Eduardo Verdugo \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n \u201cThe support of corrupt foreign officials for deadly trafficking of drugs must end,\u201d declared U.S. Atty. Jay Clayton. \u201cLet these charges send a message to all officials around the globe who work with narco-traffickers: No matter your title of position, we are committed to bringing you to justice.\u201d<\/p>\n Atop the list of those charged with narcotics and gun charges \u2014 and potentially facing life in prison \u2014 is Sinaloa Gov. Rub\u00e9n Rocha Moya, 76, who immediately declared that he \u201ccategorically rejected\u201d the allegations, which he labeled an effort to violate \u201cnational sovereignty\u201d and undermine the Mexican government.<\/p>\n \u201cThis attack isn\u2019t just against me,\u201d Rocha Moya said on X, calling the charges \u201ca perverse strategy to violate the constitutional order\u201d of Mexico.<\/p>\n Although U.S. prosecutors have previously charged former Mexican governors with links to organized crime, this appeared to be the first instance in which the Justice Department indicted a sitting Mexican governor. <\/p>\n The indictment set off a political earthquake in Mexico and poses a major dilemma for the ruling Morena party, whose founder, former President Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador, rose to power on a promise to fight entrenched corruption. He is the mentor of President Claudia Sheinbaum.<\/p>\n Critics have blamed both Sheinbaum and L\u00f3pez Obrador for carrying out few high-level prosecutions for graft and for weakening watchdog institutions charged with rooting out corruption.<\/p>\n Rocha Moya and others charged are members of the Morena bloc. <\/p>\n Rocha Moya is a longtime ally of L\u00f3pez Obrador, an association that has led observers in Mexico to speculate that their friendship shielded him from prosecution, despite long-rumored links to the Sinaloa cartel.<\/p>\n All of those charged were accused of working in cahoots with a faction of the Sinaloa cartel known as \u201cLos Chapitos,\u201d named after the sons of El Chapo. <\/p>\n The indictment said the Chapitos helped elect Rocha Moya in 2021 by stealing ballots and forcing opposition candidates to drop out of the race. It accused Rocha Moya of installing cartel-friendly officials throughout the government who allowed the cartel to smuggle \u201cmassive amounts\u201d of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S. in exchange for \u201cmillions\u201d in bribes.<\/p>\n Also charged was Sen. Enrique Inzunza C\u00e1zarez. Like Rocha Moya, he denied the allegations and called them an attack on Mexican sovereignty. <\/p>\n The indictment also named Juan de D\u00edos G\u00e1mez Mend\u00edvil, the mayor of Culiac\u00e1n, the capital of Sinaloa.<\/p>\n Two of El Chapo\u2019s sons \u2014 Ovidio Guzm\u00e1n L\u00f3pez and Joaqu\u00edn Guzm\u00e1n L\u00f3pez \u2014 are in U.S. custody, facing drug smuggling and other charges. The two are widely reported to be cooperating with U.S. prosecutors in exchange for leniency. <\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777517981_698_.jpeg\")
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