Sinaloa case could open a Pandora’s box in Mexico

Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya stepped down from his position after a US indictment accused him and nine other local politicians of taking bribes and electoral help in exchange for protecting their hometown Sinaloa Cartel — widely regarded as the largest drug trafficking syndicate on the continent.

The indictment described multiple meetings between cartel leaders and top Sinaloa officials during Rocha Moya’s 2021 gubernatorial campaign, which included threats against political opponents and an agreement to hand control over the state’s police department to the cartel.

Mexico’s government has asked for more evidence before authorizing US extradition requests. But opposition leaders have come out in support of the US narrative, recalling the astounding levels of violence seen during the 2021 state elections, which included multiple kidnapped politicians — most of them from the PRI party, which dominated Mexican politics for much of the 20th century.