Mexico's Sheinbaum says proof needed after US charges Sinaloa governor for cartel ties [View all]

Source: Reuters

Mexico's Sheinbaum says proof needed after US charges Sinaloa governor for cartel ties

By Ana Isabel Martinez and Raul Cortes
Thu, April 30, 2026 at 12:31 PM EDT
2 min read

MEXICO CITY, April 30 (Reuters) - Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Thursday that unless the U.S. government presents "clear evidence" linking Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha to ‌drug cartels, the charges announced against him on Wednesday are politically motivated.

"We are not going ‌to protect anyone who has committed a crime," Sheinbaum said at her regular morning press conference, referring to the U.S. Justice Department's indictment ​against Rocha and other Mexican current and former officials for conspiring with the Sinaloa Cartel.

"However, if there isn't clear evidence, it is obvious that the objective of these indictments by the Department of Justice is political," Sheinbaum added, saying that Mexico would not permit interference by a foreign government in its sovereign affairs.

ROCHA, SHEINBAUM FROM SAME PARTY

The ‌charges against Rocha mark a new ⁠front in the U.S. fight against cartels. While the U.S. has repeatedly gone after drug kingpins, U.S. indictments against sitting senior Mexican politicians are rare.

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Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mexico-president-says-u-extradition-142528268.html