Mexico Governor Ruben Rocha returns to office despite US criminal charges

What the report says

Mexican state governor Ruben Rocha Moya has resumed his duties in Sinaloa after weeks away from office amid a U.S. criminal case alleging ties to the Sinaloa Cartel. According to Al Jazeera, Rocha announced on social media on Friday that he had returned to work after taking leave on May 1. In his message, he denied wrongdoing and said he was acting with a clear conscience.

The Trump administration unsealed an indictment on April 29 naming Rocha among 10 Mexican officials and businessmen. U.S. prosecutors allege he won the 2021 governor’s race with help from The Chapitos, a faction of the cartel led by sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, and that he in turn helped protect their interests. Al Jazeera noted that Rocha is a senior figure in Mexico’s governing Morena party and has long ties to former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected the accusations as unsupported without evidence and has pressed Washington to share proof. Rocha said the Mexican attorney general’s office had found no evidence against him, but Mexico’s Interior Ministry later said investigations remain open and described his return as a personal decision. The case is part of a broader Trump administration campaign against cartels and alleged corruption in Mexico, which has increased pressure on officials on both sides of the border.