The U.S. Justice Department announced indictments against 10 current and former Mexican officials on April 29, 2025. The charges include drug trafficking and weapons offenses, and among those named is Rubén Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa state.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has refused to arrest or extradite the Mexican officials charged in the United States. A senior Mexican official stated that President Sheinbaum has decided not to comply with the U.S. request for Rubén Rocha Moya's extradition. Rocha Moya, who was elected governor of Sinaloa in 2021, is an ally of Sheinbaum and a member of the National Regeneration Movement party, known as Morena.

Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who founded Morena and served as Mexico’s president before Sheinbaum, published a statement on June 3 criticizing the indictments. “To be clear, some U.S. officials are plotting to weaken Morena and strengthen the rightist opposition in Mexico with the idea of once again having a submissive, corrupt, mafioso and cruel government,” he wrote.

Sheinbaum, who has been serving as Mexico’s 66th president since 2024, has maintained a cooperative stance with U.S. law enforcement in other respects. Her security forces have worked with U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies to destroy clandestine drug labs, seize drugs, and capture or kill crime bosses. She also facilitated the handover of at least 92 accused traffickers to the United States, bypassing the two countries’ extradition treaty.

Terrance C. Cole, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, warned that the April indictments mark only the beginning of broader enforcement actions. “I can assure you this is just the start about what’s to come in Mexico,” he said.

Why It Matters

The refusal to extradite a sitting governor marks a significant diplomatic divergence despite ongoing bilateral cooperation on drug enforcement. Rocha Moya’s 2021 election was marred by allegations from opposition parties and civic groups, which filed complaints claiming criminal gangs intimidated voters, stuffed ballot boxes, and kidnapped or threatened opposition candidates during his campaign.

The situation reflects broader tensions between Mexico’s current administration and U.S. judicial actions, particularly as former President López Obrador frames the indictments as politically motivated. His influence within Morena remains evident as Sheinbaum navigates pressure from both sides of the border.