The governor of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, Ruben Rocha Moya, has returned to office months after taking a leave of absence following accusations from the United States that he worked with a powerful drug cartel.
Rocha announced on Friday that he had resumed his duties as governor. He stepped aside on May 1 after the US government accused him of protecting a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for political support.
In a statement, Rocha maintained his innocence and said he was returning to office with a clear conscience.
The allegations against him form part of a wider US investigation into Mexican officials and businesspeople allegedly connected to organised crime.
On April 29, the administration of US President Donald Trump unsealed an indictment against 10 Mexican officials and businessmen. The group included a senator from Sinaloa, the state’s former public security secretary, the mayor of Culiacan and senior police officials.
Rocha was accused of working with The Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel led by the sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
US prosecutors allege that the group helped Rocha win the 2021 Sinaloa gubernatorial election by interfering with his political opponents. The indictment alleges that members of the cartel stole ballots and kidnapped opposition supporters.
In return, US authorities allege that Rocha allowed the cartel faction to influence government appointments and place other corrupt officials in positions of power.
Rocha has strongly denied the accusations.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has also demanded that the US provide evidence supporting its allegations against the governor. She has argued that anyone accused of a crime deserves due process and a fair investigation.
After Rocha took his leave of absence, Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation into the allegations contained in the US indictment.
Rocha said that after 112 days of investigation, Mexican authorities had found no evidence linking him to criminal activity. He therefore suggested that the investigation had effectively cleared his name.
However, Mexico’s federal Secretariat of the Interior later clarified that the investigation has not been closed.
The ministry said investigations involving all 10 people named by the US Department of Justice remain open, including the investigation involving Rocha.
It also said Rocha’s return to office was his personal decision.
Despite the continuing investigation, the Mexican government repeated its demand that the United States provide evidence supporting the allegations against the governor.
Rocha is a senior figure in Mexico’s ruling Morena party and has a long political relationship with its founder, former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
The case comes amid growing tensions between the United States and Mexico over drug trafficking and organised crime. The Trump administration has taken a tougher position against Mexican cartels and has designated groups such as the Sinaloa Cartel as foreign terrorist organisations.
Washington has also accused Mexican criminal groups of contributing to violence and instability across the region, while Mexico has pushed back against suggestions that its government is controlled by criminal organisations.
For now, Rocha remains governor of Sinaloa while investigations into the US allegations continue.
