Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya Resumes Office After U.S. Indictment

Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya returned to his post on Friday, August 21, 2026, more than three months after stepping away to contest a criminal indictment from the United States government. His announcement ends a leave of absence that began on May 1, but leaves unresolved the diplomatic and legal tensions with Washington over allegations of his collaboration with drug traffickers.

Rocha Moya, 77, declared on social media that he resumed his duties "with a clear conscience and my head held high." He maintains that during his 112-day leave, Mexico's Attorney General's Office found no evidence to support the U.S. claims. However, the federal Secretariat of the Interior later stated that related investigations remain open, noting that Rocha Moya's return was a personal decision.

The governor's indictment was unsealed on April 29, 2026, by U.S. authorities in New York. The indictment accuses Rocha Moya and nine other current and former Sinaloa officials of drug trafficking conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that Rocha Moya collaborated with Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel led by the sons of imprisoned kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. The U.S. claims the cartel...