The Mexican political landscape is facing escalating tensions following recent investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and a New York Grand Jury into alleged links between Sinaloa's acting governor, Rubén Rocha Moya, and organized crime. The National Action Party (PAN) and the Institutional Revolutionary Party (I PRI) have launched legislative offensives and judicial demands to sanction the Sinaloa official.
Leading the charge, the PRI parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies, coordinated by Coahuila native Rubén Moreira, has introduced a proposal to reform electoral law. According toEl Financiero, the initiative aims to establish a lifetime ban from public office for any official found to be linked to organized crime.
Sinaloa Deputy Mario Zamora Gastélum supported the proposal, stating that the current situation in his state is the direct result of irregularities during the 2021 elections that went unaddressed by authorities. "What is happening in my state today is the result of what was permitted during the 2021 election—issues that were reported to electoral and judicial authorities at the time but were ignored," Zamora Gastélum stated, as reported byEl Financiero.
Demands for Extradition and Accusations of Treason
Meanwhile, PAN National President Jorge Romero Herrera has ramped up the pressure, demanding the immediate arrest and extradition to the United States of Rocha Moya and his inner circle. Speaking from Torreón, Coahuila, Romero Herrera branded the governor a "traitor to the nation" for his alleged alliance with criminal groups.
The PAN leader announced that he will petition the Permanent Commission for the expedited application of the extradition treaty between Mexico and the United States. Romero Herrera argued that a failure to uphold this international agreement would justify non-compliance with other treaty obligations. He also criticized President Claudia Sheinbaum, noting that "if that is defended, it means a party is being led, not a movement, and the country is not being led."
The dispute has sparked a war of words involving Chihuahua Governor María Eugenia Campos Galván. The PAN official criticized the defense of Rocha Moya while drug-related activities are being prosecuted, pointing out that officials are being attacked for dismantling drug labs.
In response, Morena National President Ariadna Montiel Reyes accused the Chihuahua governor of lying and committing "treason to the nation" by provoking the intervention of foreign agents on Mexican soil, thereby violating national sovereignty, according toEl Universal.
Morena Accepts Responsibility for Controversial Appointments
Amidst the confrontation, Morena's National Executive Committee (CEN) has acknowledged flaws in its selection processes. Carolina Rangel Gracida, the party's General Secretary, admitted toEl Universalthat the leadership bears "total responsibility" for the selection of controversial figures, including Rocha Moya himself and the Mayor of Tequila, Jalisco, Diego Rivera Navarro, who was detained on suspicion of extortion.
Rangel Gracida noted that the party will implement measures to strengthen candidate vetting ahead of the 2027 elections, including the creation of an Incorporation Evaluation Commission. However, the leader downplayed fears of losing political hegemony, asserting that Morena remains the most preferred party in the country.
The Rocha Moya case has also cast a shadow over other officials, such as Sinaloa's Deputy Attorney General, who has taken an unpaid leave of absence due to U.S. investigations into alleged ties to drug trafficking, according toEl Universal.
