Two political allies of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Morena party have stepped aside from their posts after a US indictment linked them to the Sinaloa cartel.
Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and Culiacán Mayor Juan de Dios Gámez Mendívil both announced leave from their duties on Saturday, while denying the allegations. Rocha Moya is the highest-ranking official named in the US indictment, which accuses him of protecting the powerful Sinaloa cartel, aiding in the smuggling of drugs into the United States and accepting millions of dollars in bribes.
“My conscience is clear,” Rocha Moya said. “To my people and to my family, I can look you in the eye because I have never betrayed you, and I never will.” He said his leave is temporary so he can defend himself against what he called “false and malicious” claims and to cooperate with the Mexican government’s investigation. Rocha Moya has suggested the accusations are intended to damage Morena. “I will not allow myself to be used to harm the movement to which I belong — one that has improved the lives of millions of Mexican men and women,” he said.
The US indictment names 10 Mexican officials and comes as the administration of US President Donald Trump has increased pressure on Mexico to tackle drug trafficking and cartel activity. Last week Mexico raised concerns about the presence of two alleged US agents, reportedly CIA personnel, who took part in a drug operation without Mexican authorization and later died in a car accident during the operation.
President Sheinbaum said she was not convinced by the case against Rocha and demanded that the US provide “solid and irrefutable” evidence. She announced that Mexican authorities will investigate and gather their own information, insisting that the officials must face trial in Mexico first. “We will never subordinate ourselves because this is a matter of the dignity of the Mexican people,” Sheinbaum said.
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah