The governor of Mexico’s Sinaloa state is facing U.S. federal drug charges, marking one of the most significant corruption cases to reach a sitting Mexican official in years.
Rubén Rocha Moya, who has served as Sinaloa’s governor since November 2021, was among 10 current and former Mexican officials charged Wednesday in a U.S. indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court. Prosecutors allege that Rocha and the others conspired with leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel to import massive quantities of narcotics into the United States in exchange for political support and cash bribes. None of the defendants is currently in U.S. custody.
What the Indictment Alleges
The charges, announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the DEA, allege that the defendants collectively received millions of dollars from the Chapitos, the faction of the Sinaloa Cartel run by the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, whose father is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison. In exchange, the officials allegedly used their government and law enforcement positions to shield cartel operations, share sensitive information, and facilitate drug shipments of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States.
One co-defendant, Juan Valenzuela Millán, a senior commander in the Culiacán Municipal Police, is accused of accepting more than $1,600 a month from the Chapitos faction in exchange for conducting arrests, kidnappings and killings on the cartel’s behalf. In October 2023, according to the indictment, Millán helped the Chapitos abduct a DEA confidential source and that source’s relative, who was subsequently tortured and killed.
Political Ties
At least three of those charged — Rocha, the mayor of Culiacán (Sinaloa’s capital), and a senator — are affiliated with Morena, the party of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The governor’s office said Wednesday it had not yet been notified of the accusations and could not offer additional comment. Sheinbaum’s administration was not named in the indictment.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton framed the charges in sweeping terms. “The Sinaloa Cartel would not operate as freely or successfully without corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials on their payroll,” he said.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson called combating corruption and transnational crime a shared priority, adding that citizens on both sides of the border “deserve” accountability.
A Cartel Already in Turmoil
The charges come days after the U.S. ambassador said Washington would launch an anti-corruption campaign targeting Mexican officials with alleged cartel ties. The Sinaloa Cartel was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. State Department in February 2025. The cartel has been in internal turmoil since mid-2024, when founding boss Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada was arrested in the United States after allegedly being lured into a trap by Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of El Chapo. Bloody territorial fighting erupted in Culiacán in September 2024, leaving much of the city paralyzed for weeks.
Fast Facts
- Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya of Sinaloa charged by U.S. federal prosecutors Wednesday
- 10 current and former Mexican officials indicted in total
- Charges unsealed in Manhattan federal court
- Defendants allegedly received millions from the Chapitos cartel faction
- Drugs cited: fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine
- None of the defendants are in U.S. custody as of Wednesday
- Rocha has been Sinaloa’s governor since November 2021
- At least 3 of those indicted are members of President Sheinbaum’s Morena party
Source: Associated Press, U.S. Department of Justice