US charges Sinaloa state governor, 9 others over Mexican drug cartel links

United States prosecutors have brought charges against Mexico’s Sinaloa state Governor Ruben Rocha Moya and nine current and former officials, accusing them of links to the Sinaloa drug cartel in a move that could strain relations between the two countries. An indictment unsealed on Wednesday in New York alleges that Rocha Moya, 76, and nine others worked with cartel leaders to move large quantities of narcotics into the US in exchange for political support and bribes. Recommended Stories list of 4 items end of list Prosecutors say that support extended to Rocha Moya’s 2021 election campaign, when members of the cartel’s “Chapitos” faction allegedly helped secure his victory. According to the indictment, cartel operatives kidnapped and threatened opposition candidates and stole ballot papers cast for his rivals to help secure his victory. Authorities said the scheme was aided by another defendant, Enrique Diaz Vega, who later became Rocha Moya’s secretary of administration and finance, who allegedly provided the cartel with a list of opponents’ names and addresses so they could be pressured into dropping out of the race. The US Justice Department said most of the suspects were aligned with the sons of the Sinaloa cartel cofounder Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in the US. …