Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya has stepped down from his post again this Saturday afternoon, a move that brings his brief attempt at defiance to an end. Rocha, a member of the Morena party, had returned to the Government Palace on Friday after a three-month absence prompted by allegations from the U.S. justice system, which accuses him—along with nine other officials—of ties to drug trafficking. Rocha reversed course following criticism from fellow party members and disapproval from President Claudia Sheinbaum.
In a letter addressed to the president of the state Congress’s Permanent Commission, Rocha requested a “temporary leave of indefinite duration—exceeding 30 days”—from the governorship. The veteran politician posted an image of the letter on his social media accounts alongside the comment: “Sinaloa, the nation, and the transformation movement come above all else.” This phrase appears to be a response to a message Sheinbaum—his fellow party member—had sent earlier that morning, implicitly criticizing Rocha’s return. “Power without principles becomes arrogance,” the president had written.
Things seem to be settling down after a turbulent day and a half. Rocha’s abrupt return triggered a swift backlash from within Morena. Lawmakers, governors, and other party officials took to their virtual platforms—visibly surprised by Rocha’s decision—to criticize his return given the gravity of the accusations against him. The U.S. Department of Justice accuses him of conspiring with Sinaloa Cartel leaders to export large quantities of narcotics across the border in exchange for bribes—an allegation he shares with former members of his administration and other officials.
In light of events over the past 36 hours, it appears evident that Rocha decided to return to office without consulting the National Palace. The leader endured the disdain of his peers but yielded to Sheinbaum’s call to order—a rebuke of unusual severity. His act of defiance broke with the government’s narrative, which has criticized Washington’s political motivations behind certain decisions made in recent months. After all, while critical, Mexico had acknowledged the existence of the allegations and—on paper, at least—was waiting for Mexican investigative agencies to either validate or dismiss them.
However, Rocha’s decision created a rift in the official narrative—a delicate matter given Mexico’s complicated relationship with the White House, which is tethered to its northern neighbor’s demands regarding security and migration. Questions are now being raised about the veteran Sinaloan politician’s motives: why he returned, and why at this particular moment. Friday night and Saturday morning saw a flurry of speculation surrounding the issue, which is set against the backdrop of two recent events—both part of the state’s sometimes unbelievable recent history, forever straddling the line between politics and the criminal underworld.
This week, the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) announced the arrest of Fausto Corrales for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of drug trafficker Ismael “Mayo” Zambada in Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa, in July 2024. The agency also accuses him of covering up the murder of Héctor Cuen. The two events are linked. In July 2024, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel summoned Zambada to a meeting in Culiacán—a trap, in reality—to kidnap him and transport him to the U.S., where he was subsequently arrested. According to Zambada, he went to the meeting to mediate between political rivals Cuen and Rocha. Cuen did attend, accompanied by Corrales. Cuen was murdered that same day.
The question remains whether Rocha also attended—something he has consistently denied. Corrales’s arrest took place just a day and a half before Rocha’s return to the governorship—a coincidence that sent paranoia levels across Mexico soaring to new heights. A second related event this week involved another individual accused by the U.S.: Gerardo Mérida, who served as Secretary of Security during Rocha’s term. Mérida had surrendered to U.S. authorities in May and remained in custody in New York until this week, when he no longer appeared in the prison system’s records. He is now negotiating with the justice system, a process that entails providing information to prosecutors.
