Overview
- Gerardo Mérida Sánchez, 66, was arrested in Arizona on Monday, May 11, after entering at the Nogales port of entry, according to Mexico’s Security Cabinet and U.S. court records.
- Mérida appeared in Manhattan federal court on Friday and was ordered jailed pending further proceedings, with the next hearing set for June 1, making him the first of ten indicted Sinaloa officials to land in U.S. custody.
- Prosecutors say he took at least $100,000 a month from Los Chapitos, the faction led by El Chapo’s sons, and warned them about at least ten planned raids in 2023 so they could move people, drugs, and equipment.
- He faces counts that include a narcotics importation conspiracy and weapons charges tied to machine guns and explosive devices, exposing him to decades to life in prison if convicted.
- The wider indictment also names Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and Culiacán’s mayor, who have not been detained, as Mexico reviews U.S. extradition requests and leaders in Mexico question whether the U.S. case is politically driven.