Mexican Officials Step Down After U.S. Indictment
Two Mexican officials from Sinaloa resign after U.S. drug indictments. Mexico asserts sovereignty over prosecutions.
Cuneyd Erdogan ·
Mexican Officials Step Down After U.S. Indictment Two members of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s party in Sinaloa state, Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and Culiacán Mayor Juan de Dios Gámez Mendívil, temporarily stepped down from their posts on Friday, May 2, 2026, following U.S. drug trafficking charges. The U.S. indictment names 10 Mexican politicians and security officers, alleging protection of the Sinaloa cartel and facilitation of drug smuggling into the U.S. in exchange for political support and millions in bribes.
Governor Rocha Moya announced a 30-day leave of absence to address the allegations, which he denies as “false and malicious.” Mayor Gámez Mendívil also took leave, similarly denying the charges. Senator Enrique Inzunza, another Morena party member named in the indictment, stated he would continue his Senate duties while defending himself. The Sinaloa state congress appointed Yeraldine Bonilla Valverde, Rocha’s ally and former secretary of government, as interim governor.
The temporary resignations result in the loss of immunity from criminal prosecution for Rocha and Gámez Mendívil, according to former Mexican Supreme Court Justice Arturo Zaldívar. President Sheinbaum has affirmed that her administration will not defend individuals found guilty of crimes but emphasized Mexico's sovereignty, stating that any officials with “irrefutable” evidence of cartel ties would be tried in Mexico, not the U.S. The Mexican attorney general’s office has indicated it will not arrest the accused officials as requested by the U.S. pending investigation.