Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya temporarily stepped down from office this weekend after being accused by U.S. prosecutors of facilitating Sinaloa Cartel operations in exchange for bribes and political support. The allegations, revealed this week, claim that Rocha Moya and nine other officials assisted the criminal group in intimidating opposition candidates and stealing ballots during the 2021 elections.
In a video message released Friday night, Rocha Moya denied the charges, framing his leave of absence as a necessary step to defend himself. “My conscience is clear. I can look my people and my family in the eye because I have never betrayed them, and I never will,” the governor stated, according to reports from Al Jazeera.
The Sinaloa Congress approved the request for leave unanimously in an expedited process. To fill the vacancy, Yeraldine Bonilla Valverde, formerly the Secretary General of Government, was confirmed as interim governor. A graduate in Social Work from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa, Bonilla Valverde has an extensive background in state administration and previously served as acting head of the Secretariat of Public Security in 2023.
Rocha Moya's departure has ignited a debate regarding legal immunity for officials. Arturo Zaldívar, General Coordinator of Policy and Government for the Presidency, clarified that the leave of absence removes the constitutional immunity of those involved. “Once someone takes a leave of absence, they are no longer exercising their official duties; therefore, they can be detained like any other person,” Zaldívar stated on social media, also referring to Culiacán Mayor Juan de Dios Gámez, who has also stepped down.
The National Action Party (PAN) has formally requested that the federal government issue travel alerts for both Rocha Moya and Gámez. PAN national spokesperson Jorge Triana argued that such measures are essential to prevent the accused from evading justice, citing the previous escapes of figures such as Fernando Farías Laguna and Hernán Bermúdez. PAN council member Rafael Calderón Jiménez added that the accused must remain in the country to face potential extradition requests following the 60-day period.
The situation involving Senator Enrique Inzunza, who is also named in the U.S. allegations, has added further tension to the case. Unlike the governor and the mayor, Inzunza has not requested a leave of absence, and his whereabouts remain unknown after he was last seen on April 29 at the Senate offices. In a previous post on X, the senator dismissed the accusations as “false and malicious,” claiming they are an attack on the 'Fourth Transformation' and former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo has maintained a reserved stance regarding the crisis. When asked if her administration recommended Rocha Moya's leave, the president declined to provide details, referring the press to her Monday morning press conference. Sheinbaum had previously noted that the Mexican government has not received concrete evidence to support the U.S. allegations, emphasizing that “no foreign government can enter our territory” under the principles of sovereignty.
