Mexico’s Sheinbaum questions US claims of drug ties to Sinaloa governor

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has cast doubt on accusations by the United States that Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha collaborated with the Sinaloa drug cartel after US prosecutors charged him with having ties to organised crime. “My position on these events is as follows: truth, justice and the defence of sovereignty,” Sheinbaum said on Thursday. She added that the US claims lack credibility unless they are backed by actual evidence. Recommended Stories list of 1 item end of list “If the Attorney General’s Office, which is the competent authority, receives clear and irrefutable evidence under Mexican law or if its own investigation finds elements constituting a crime, it must proceed in accordance with the law under our jurisdiction,” she added. She stressed that any wrongdoing would be addressed if proven. “We will not shield anyone who has committed a crime; however, if there is no clear evidence, it is evident that the aim of these charges by the [US] Department of Justice is political,” she added. The comments come after US prosecutors unsealed an indictment in New York charging Rocha and nine current and former officials with alleged links to the Sinaloa Cartel in a case that could strain relations between the two neighbours. Alleged cartel links Prosecutors accused the group of working with cartel leaders to move large quantities of narcotics into the US in exchange for political support and bribes. …