Overview
- U.S. prosecutors in the Southern District of New York have accused Rubén Rocha Moya and other Sinaloan officials of ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and of funneling cartel resources into political campaigns.
- Journalist Raymundo Riva Palacio reports Rocha Moya is staying at a ranch north of Culiacán with limited movements and that federal protection has been arranged for him and other accused officials.
- Mexican officials, including Secretary of Security Omar García Harfuch, deny the federal government is providing protection and say any escort is not federal.
- Several co-accused are cooperating or in U.S. custody: Gerardo Mérida was arrested in Arizona and transferred to New York, Enrique Díaz is reported to be negotiating cooperation from Ireland, and others have sought deals or kept low profiles.
- The case is escalating bilateral pressure because cooperating witnesses can trace campaign money to other politicians and the involvement of U.S. officials with Southern District experience raises the prospect of broader political fallout for Mexico’s government.