US charges 10 Mexican officials with assisting Sinaloa Cartel
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged 10 current and former Mexican officials-linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel-over alleged drug trafficking support into the United States. The indictment includes Ruben Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa, along with a state capital mayor and a senator, all described as affiliated with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Morena party.
Prosecutors say the defendants took millions in bribes to protect cartel activity, leaked sensitive law-enforcement information, tipped off traffickers about investigations, and directed police to safeguard drug shipments as they moved north.The DOJ also alleges their actions helped sustain the cartel’s operations and enabled violence to continue. DEA Administrator Terrance Cole called the case evidence that cartel influence depends on corruption within public institutions.
Mexico’s response has been sharply critical. Sheinbaum said her government has not seen evidence supporting the allegations and argued that any U.S. investigation of people in Mexico must be reviewed by Mexico’s attorney general. She also criticized U.S. law-enforcement activities inside Mexico after a deadly incident in Chihuahua involving American personnel, and said Mexico’s military participated in the operation while claiming her office was not aware of U.S. agents joining the raid.
The charges come as tensions rise between Washington and Mexico over security cooperation and sovereignty,amid U.S. efforts under President Donald Trump to designate multiple cartel-linked groups as foreign terrorist organizations.
The United States has charged 10 current and former Mexican officials, including the governor of Sinaloa, with helping the Sinaloa Cartel traffic drugs into the U.S. in an indictment that federal authorities say exposes deep corruption in the Mexican government.
The accused include Ruben Rocha Moya, who has been governor of Mexico’s Sinaloa state since November 2021, the mayor of Sinaloa’s capital, and a senator, all of whom were affiliated with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s party, Morena.
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The Department of Justice announced the charges on Wednesday, alleging the officials took millions for shielding cartel operations, leaking sensitive law enforcement information, and directing police forces to protect drug shipments moving north. None of the defendants is currently in U.S. custody.
The indictment alleges the accused are affiliated with former Mexican cartel leader Guzman Loera, or “El Chapo,” who was sentenced to life in U.S. prison.
Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration Terrance Cole said the case shows how the cartel’s power relies on institutional corruption.
“The Sinaloa Cartel is not just trafficking deadly drugs, it is a designated terrorist organization that relies on corruption and bribery to drive violence and profit,” Cole said in a statement, adding that the indictment “exposes a deliberate effort to undermine public institutions and put American lives at risk.”
According to prosecutors, the accused officials played “essential roles” in sustaining cartel operations, such as tipping off traffickers to investigations, preventing arrests, and allowing violence to unfold unchecked. Authorities say they also directed state and local police units to safeguard drug loads as they moved through Mexico toward the U.S.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said such cooperation is central to the cartel’s longevity. “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,” he said, warning that the charges should serve as a message globally that “no matter your title or position, we are committed to bringing you to justice.”
The case lands amid heightened tensions between Washington and Mexico over security cooperation and sovereignty.
Earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald D. Johnson announced that the Trump administration would target Mexican officials tied to organized crime.
Sheinbaum pushed back, saying her government has not seen evidence supporting the corruption allegations.
“Any investigation in the United States against any person in Mexico must have evidence reviewed by the [Mexican] Attorney General’s Office,” the Mexican president responded.
Sheinbaum has also spoken against U.S. law enforcement activity inside Mexico following a deadly incident last week in Chihuahua, where two American operatives were killed after a counternarcotics operation.
“There cannot be agents from any U.S. government institution operating in the Mexican field,” she said.
SHEINBAUM THREATENS SANCTIONS AGAINST CHIHUAHUA STATE OVER DEAD AMERICAN OFFICIALS
On Wednesday, Sheinbaum said Mexico’s military participated in that operation, but that her office was not aware of any U.S. agents joining the raid.
President Donald Trump has escalated pressure on cartels, designating multiple Latin American drug and crime organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel, as foreign terrorist organizations at the beginning of his second term.
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