Mexican officials are cautious about a U.S. request to extradite former Sinaloa governor, Rubén Rocha, as court records tie the case to an investigation involving the sons of infamous Sinaloa cartel leader, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera. President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated that the Mexican government will not take action against Rocha, a member of the ruling party, until concrete evidence is provided to support allegations of collusion with the Sinaloa cartel during the 2021 election campaign.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York issued an indictment on April 29 implicating Rocha, who also serves as the mayor of Culiacan, a Mexican senator, the state’s deputy attorney general, and several former law enforcement officials. The indictment alleges that Rocha traded parts of the state’s security apparatus to the sons of El Chapo in exchange for support leading up to the gubernatorial election.
Rocha, associated with the National Regeneration Movement party (Morena), and with close ties to former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, stepped down from his position on May 1 amidst the escalating legal situation. The case against Rocha originated from an extensive investigation targeting the Sinaloa cartel’s fentanyl operations, with evidence suggesting a connection to the activities of the Guzmán Salazar brothers, known as “Los Chapitos.”
The indictment against Rocha is part of a broader case against the fugitive Chapitos, who are accused of gruesome crimes such as feeding victims to tigers and orchestrating a complex fentanyl smuggling network into the U.S. The court documents also highlight the cartel’s reliance on corruption and bribery to sustain its operations.
The ongoing power struggle within the Sinaloa cartel, particularly between the Chapitos and a faction loyal to El Mayo Zambada’s son, has led to a wave of violence and instability in the region. Recent revelations surrounding Rocha’s case shed light on the deep-rooted issues of corruption and collusion between criminal elements and government officials in Mexico.
