Mexican Governor Rocha Seeks Leave Again Amid US Drug Charges and Party Strife

Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha has once again requested a leave of absence from his duties, days after defiantly reclaiming his position following indictment by US federal prosecutors on charges including drug trafficking and bribery. The move comes amid significant political fallout, with both the Mexican government and Rocha's ruling Morena party expressing disapproval of his actions.

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power without principles becomes arrogance

Rocha's return to office was met with a cool reception, highlighting internal party tensions. President Claudia Sheinbaum publicly warned on X, formerly Twitter, that "power without principles becomes arrogance" and that "no personal interest can ever be above those of the people or the Nation." While not naming Rocha directly, her statement intensified the political firestorm surrounding the governor.

Earlier, Rocha, a member of Sheinbaum's Morena party, had been on leave for over three months after US prosecutors alleged he conspired with a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, known as Los Chapitos. The indictment, which also named nine other officials, accused them of helping the cartel traffic drugs into the US in exchange for political support and bribes. This marked a rare expansion of US anti-cartel efforts to include a sitting senior Mexican politician.

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no personal interest can ever be above those of the people or the Nation

Rocha has characterized the US case as a politically motivated attack on Sheinbaum's political movement. However, the government's previous stance stated Washington had not provided sufficient evidence for his arrest or extradition, even as Mexico's administration launched its own investigation. The ongoing controversy underscores lingering divisions within the ruling party concerning the governor's legal troubles and his position.

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Sinaloa, the nation, and the transformation movement are above all else.