Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office has summoned the current Governor of Sinaloa, Ruben Rocha Moya, and nine of his closest allies, who are listed as wanted fugitives by the U.S. Department of Justice on drug trafficking conspiracy charges. The politician is the same one that Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has publicly defended, claiming there is no evidence of his wrongdoing, something that has caused much tension with the Trump administration.
On Friday evening, Rocha Moya issued a statement confirming that he had been summoned by the FGR and that he was going to appear, claiming that he had nothing to hide.
The issue with Rocha Moya began in late April when, as Breitbart Texas reported, the U.S. DOJ announced the indictment accusing the highest officials in Sinaloa of working with the Sinaloa Cartel. Mexico was quick to respond, claiming that the allegations were baseless. Since then, two of the wanted individuals have turned themselves in to U.S. authorities. The response is tied to Rocha Moya being a member of Mexico’s ruling party, MORENA, and a close friend of Sheinbaum’s mentor and former President, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Political opponents claim that Rocha Moya is one of the links that could bring down the entire MORENA party for having worked hand in hand with cartels in exchange for political power. Since the initial indictment, various U.S. officials have warned that future indictments of politicians are expected.
The summoning of Rocha Moya came soon after U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markway Mullin visited Mexico and met with Sheinbaum and her security cabinet. As Breitbart Texas reported, publicly, the meeting was hailed as a strengthening of partnerships; the timing of the FGR’s move points to additional pressure from the U.S. government towards Mexico for their perceived complicity in protecting cartels.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
