On April 29, 2026, the United States Department of Justice filed charges against Rubén Rocha Moya—the governor of Sinaloa currently on leave—alleging ties to “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Six days after the announcement, social media users circulated various videos in which YouTuber Marcos Eduardo Castro—better known as Markitos Toys—publicly expressed his support for Rocha Moya during the 2021 election campaign. This resurgence of the footage reignited scrutiny regarding the relationship between content creators, political figures, and the Sinaloan criminal underworld, particularly given that Markitos has publicly admitted to having a friendship with Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, alias “El Nini,” the former security chief for “Los Chapitos.”
In one of the clips, Markitos Toys appears alongside his former associate, Carlos Daniel Arce, known as “El Gordo Arce.”
Both men endorsed the candidacy of Rocha Moya, who assumed the governorship on November 1, 2021, having secured the highest percentage of votes among the fifteen states contested in that election cycle.
The video regained relevance after the US indictment detailed the Sinaloa Cartel’s alleged support for the Morena party’s campaign in Sinaloa—support purportedly provided through acts of intimidation and the kidnapping of political rivals.
