Sinaloa governor Ruben Rocha returns to office amid US criminal charges

The governor of Mexico's northwestern state of Sinaloa, Ruben Rocha Moya, has said he has resumed his duties after a leave of absence, despite criminal accusations from the United States. Rocha announced on social media on Friday that he was returning to office and insisted on his innocence. He said he was taking up his responsibilities with a "clear conscience" and "head held high".

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Rocha said he had been away from office since May 1. The US government has accused him of protecting a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for help with his political career. In the same case, the Trump administration unsealed a criminal indictment on April 29 against 10 Mexican officials and businessmen, including Rocha, a senator representing Sinaloa, a state public security secretary, the mayor of Culiacan and several senior police leaders.

The allegations place Rocha among a wider group of Mexican figures targeted under the second administration of US President Donald Trump. Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has intensified pressure on crime across the Western Hemisphere, including by designating the Sinaloa Cartel as a foreign terrorist organisation. He has also threatened military action in Mexico and accused cartels of driving violence and instability in the region.

The case has therefore become part of a broader cross-border dispute over how the United States is pursuing Mexican officials and criminal groups. According to the indictment described in the report, US prosecutors say Rocha won the Sinaloa governorship in 2021 with support from The Chapitos, a faction of the cartel led by the sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The filings allege that the group stole ballots for Rocha's rivals and kidnapped opponents.

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Rocha, who previously served as a senator, is described as a senior figure in the left-wing Morena party, which has become a dominant force in Mexican politics. His ties to the party's founder, former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, reportedly go back decades. The return to office comes at a sensitive moment for Sinaloa, a state long associated with cartel violence and political scrutiny.

The accusations against Rocha add to tensions between Washington and Mexico City over security, sovereignty and the role of elected officials in organised crime investigations. They also raise questions about how Mexican institutions will respond to a sitting governor facing US criminal allegations while continuing in office. What remains unclear is how the case will develop in court and whether the accusations will lead to any domestic action in Mexico.

It is also not clear whether Rocha's return will change the political or legal pressure surrounding him. For now, the case is likely to remain a focal point in the wider US campaign against Mexican cartels and the officials accused of aiding them.

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