Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that the United States has not provided any evidence linking Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya, who is currently on temporary leave, to drug trafficking. She argued that no one should be accused without proof amid uncertainty over the governor's political future.
"No, none," Sheinbaum said when asked whether U.S. authorities had shared evidence supporting the allegations that led to the request for Rocha Moya's arrest.
The president declined to comment on whether the governor could return to office and called for patience while the investigations continue.
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"Let's wait. We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves," she said.
Sheinbaum stressed that her administration will not shield anyone facing well-founded accusations, but neither will it support allegations that lack evidence.
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"As we've said, we are not going to protect anyone—that's very important—but we're also not going to accuse anyone without evidence," she said.
No Deadline for Rocha Moya to Return as Sinaloa Governor
Regarding Rocha Moya's legal and political status, Sheinbaum said that, to the best of her knowledge, Sinaloa's Constitution does not establish a specific deadline for a governor on temporary leave to determine whether to return to office.
"As I understand it, there is no specific deadline under Sinaloa's Constitution, so he will have to make his own decisions," she said.
Sheinbaum Says She Hasn't Spoken With Rocha Since the Day the U.S. Allegations Emerged
The president also revealed that she has spoken with Rocha Moya only once since U.S. authorities filed their request, and that the conversation took place on the same day the controversy became public.
"Personally, I haven't spoken with him. I spoke with him on the first day, when the U.S. request became public. After that, I haven't spoken with him," she said.
Asked about the content of that conversation, Sheinbaum said she advised the governor to address the public.
"I told him, 'It would be a good idea for you to speak publicly.' That was on the day the request came out, and he later posted a statement on his social media accounts," she said.
The U.S. Allegations
Background: In April, the U.S. Department of Justice requested the urgent arrest for extradition purposes of 10 senior officials from Sinaloa, including Rocha Moya, alleging they collaborated with Los Chapitos—a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel—in exchange for bribes and political favors.
Two of the accused have surrendered to U.S. authorities, while the others remain in Mexico to contest the allegations in a case that has heightened tensions between Mexico and Washington.
The Mexican federal government has maintained that it will not arrest the officials named in the U.S. request for now, arguing that Washington has yet to provide the evidence needed to justify such action.
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