U.S. authorities have formally accused Governor Rubén Rocha Moya of having links to the Sinaloa Cartel. The charges were announced by Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole.
In addition to the governor, a group of current and former state officials has been charged with alleged drug trafficking and firearms-related offenses. According to the indictment, those named include:
- Enrique Inzunza Cázarez
- Enrique Díaz Vega
- Dámaso Castro Zaavedra
- Marco Antonio Almanza Avilés
- Alberto Jorge Contreras Núñez
- Gerardo Mérida Sánchez
- José Antonio Dionisio Hipólito
- Juan de Dios Gámez Mendívil
- Juan Valenzuela Millán, also known as “Juanito.”
The US accuses Governor Rubén Rocha of alleged links to the Sinaloa Cartel
U.S. authorities allege that the defendants, described as high-ranking officials within Sinaloa’s government and law enforcement structures, collaborated with the Sinaloa Cartel to facilitate the trafficking of large quantities of narcotics into the United States. The case has been assigned to federal judge Katherine Polk Failla.
According to the indictment, Valenzuela Millán faces additional charges related to the kidnapping of a DEA source and a relative, incidents that resulted in their deaths. Officials said the case points to a broader network of alleged corruption that enabled the cartel to operate with relative impunity.
Clayton stated that criminal organizations of this scale cannot function without the support of corrupt public officials, while the DEA emphasized that the case reflects a deliberate effort to undermine public institutions and facilitate the flow of illicit drugs.
The accusations agains Rubén Rocha Moya, linked with de Sinaloa Cartel, represent a significant development in U.S.-Mexico security relations, as they directly involve senior figures within a Mexican state government in a federal criminal investigation.
