Mexican governor accused by U.S. of drug trafficking steps down during investigation
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha Moya, accused by the U.S. Justice Department of collaborating with the Sinaloa cartel to traffic large quantities of narcotics, announced a temporary leave to facilitate investigations.
- Rocha Moya and nine others, including the mayor of Culiacan, face federal charges such as narcotics importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns, with potential sentences of life imprisonment or a minimum of 40 years.
- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized that extraditions to the U.S. would require irrefutable evidence, marking this as the first public narcotrafficking charge against a sitting Mexican governor.
- The allegations have heightened diplomatic tensions between Mexico and the U.S., especially amid prior incidents involving U.S. agents and pressure from Washington for increased intervention against drug cartels.
- Rocha Moya, affiliated with the Morena party and close to former President Lopez Obrador, has denied the charges as false, while stepping down removes his immunity and opens the way for formal investigations.
