Rocha Moya returns amid unresolved allegations

Reporting and context

Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya said he would continue governing with “firmness” after returning to office Friday following a 112-day leave, UDGTV reports. In a video posted on X, Rocha Moya said he was resuming responsibility for governing and working for Sinaloa and its residents. His return came amid allegations from the United States that his administration was connected to operations attributed to the Sinaloa Cartel, including the Los Chapitos faction.

According to the report, a U.S. accusation released April 29 alleged that 10 officials, including Rocha Moya, had protected cartel operations by sharing sensitive information and allowing drugs to be moved toward the United States in exchange for large bribes. U.S. authorities said the alleged network involved fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Rocha Moya has said his leave was intended to avoid interfering with any investigation and that he placed himself at the disposal of Mexican authorities beginning May 1.

The governor has said the Attorney General's Office found no evidence linking him to criminal conduct. Mexico's Interior Ministry, however, said the investigation had not been closed, according to UDGTV. Rocha Moya's Morena party described his temporary separation from office as a personal decision and said it respected due process and the outcome of the FGR investigation. The report does not establish a criminal finding against Rocha Moya; the U.S. allegations and Mexican investigations remain unresolved.