Sinaloa governor Rubén Rocha steps aside again after backlash over US cartel charges

Swift reversal in Sinaloa

Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya requested an indefinite leave of absence from office on 22 August 2026, stepping down less than 24 hours after unilaterally resuming his duties. Rocha, a 77-year-old member of the ruling Morena party, had returned to his post on Friday, 21 August 2026, after spending 112 days away to address investigations into alleged cartel ties. Upon returning, Rocha announced he was resuming responsibility to govern Sinaloa and work for its residents. However, his uncoordinated reinstatement surprised federal officials and drew immediate condemnation from opposition lawmakers who had demanded his removal. Facing mounting internal pressure, Rocha submitted a formal petition to the Congress of the State of Sinaloa seeking a temporary, indefinite leave exceeding 30 days.

Presidential rebuke and party pressure

The governor's return prompted direct criticism from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who stated in Mexico City that she had not spoken with Rocha and learned of his decision through social media. Sheinbaum published a public rebuke warning against personal ambition in governance.

Power without principles becomes arrogance; power without limits becomes abuse; and power that forgets the people ends up facing history.

Sheinbaum noted that public offices are temporary while responsibility to the nation remains permanent. Rejection of Rocha's return spread rapidly across the ruling Morena party, including its national leadership and state governors. The Morena parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies issued a statement demanding that Rocha reconsider, warning that personal interests must not compromise Mexico's standing or foreign relations. Cornered by his own party, Rocha wrote on social media that Sinaloa, the nation, and the transformation movement stand above all else.

Cartel allegations and legal defense

The political confrontation originates from actions taken on 29 April 2026, when United States federal prosecutors formally indicted Rocha alongside nine other current and former Mexican officials. American prosecutors accused the officials of participating in a conspiracy with the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, assisting narcotics trafficking into the United States in exchange for political support and bribes. The case marked a rare expansion of United States anti-cartel legal action directly targeting a sitting Mexican state governor.

I have not committed any crime under our country's constitutional and legal framework. I am completely detached and innocent of the fabrications that have been concocted against me to damage the leftist political movement to which I belong.

Rocha maintained that the Mexican Attorney General's Office found no minimum evidence of criminal conduct against him. He maintained that the United States accusations were politically motivated attacks orchestrated by domestic and international right-wing groups to damage the left-wing governing movement.