US prosecutors accused the sitting governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Rúben Rocha Moya, of conspiring with cartel drug traffickers.
Moya, who hails from the party of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, is charged alongside nine other current and former Mexican government officials.
In response, the Mexican government released a statement saying the US documents requesting the group’s arrest and potential extradition lacked the sufficient evidence.
There have long been allegations against Rocha, who is governor of a state where the powerful Sinaloa Cartel is based. The organisation is embroiled in a violent conflict between two warring factions. He has denied any wrongdoing.
The indictment, released in New York on Wednesday, claims the elected leaders “conspired with leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel to import massive quantities of narcotics into the United States in exchange for political support and bribes”.
Moya is accused of having ties to the notorious Sinaloa Cartel and has been indicted over allegedly abusing his position as governor to protect one faction of the cartel, known as Los Chapitos.
“The Sinaloa Cartel is not just trafficking deadly drugs, it is a designated terrorist organization that relies on corruption and bribery to drive violence and profit,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole.
He added that the group “used positions of trust to protect cartel operations, enabling a pipeline of deadly drugs into our country”.
US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in the statement: “As the indictment lays bare, the Sinaloa cartel, and other drug trafficking organisations like it, would not operate as freely or successfully without corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials on their payroll.”
The indictment also included nine other current and former Mexican officials, including a high-ranking policeman, a senator and a mayor.
However, the Mexican Foreign Ministry said that the documents received from the US embassy lacked the necessary evidence – or, as the statement put it, “do not include the elements of proof” – against those whose arrest and eventual extradition was being requested.
The final decision would lie with the Attorney General’s office, the statement added.
The US indictment against a sitting governor in Mexico – one from the ruling party – is very rare in the bilateral relationship and represents a significant headache for President Sheinbaum.
The indictment is the latest step in an aggressive strategy by the Trump Administration to clamp down on drug cartels and official corruption in Mexico.
By BBC News
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