Sinaloa Governor Reverses Return, Seeks Leave Amid Party Uproar

The governor of Mexico's Sinaloa state has reversed his decision to return to office, requesting an indefinite leave of absence just days after announcing his comeback. The move follows intense pressure from his own ruling party over US accusations that he conspired with a drug cartel.

Governor Rubén Rocha Moya had stepped aside in early May, shortly after federal prosecutors in New York unsealed an indictment accusing him and nine other current and former Mexican officials of protecting Sinaloa cartel members in exchange for bribes. The charges allege the officials facilitated the trafficking of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine into the United States.

On Friday, Rocha Moya announced he was returning to his post, claiming Mexico's Attorney General's Office had found no evidence linking him to criminal conduct. He declared he was back "as governor of Sinaloa with my head held high."

That defiance lasted barely a day. His return triggered sharp criticism from governors, senators, and other prominent figures in the Morena party, including President Claudia Sheinbaum. In a statement Saturday, Sheinbaum appeared to rebuke him without naming him, writing that "no personal interest can ever come before the interests of the people and the nation."

Morena's national leadership said it had no prior knowledge of Rocha Moya's return, calling it his "personal decision." The party's Senate bloc urged respect for the ongoing investigation, while Morena governors issued a joint statement declaring that "personal or group political projects have no place" when national interests are at stake.

Ricardo Monreal, Morena's leader in the lower house, publicly urged his longtime ally to reconsider. The coordinated response left Rocha Moya isolated, and he announced Saturday evening that he had asked the state legislature to allow him to step aside indefinitely.

Rocha Moya, 77, has denied wrongdoing and described the charges as politically motivated. He initially took leave to cooperate with the Mexican investigation without relying on the constitutional immunity attached to his office. Whether his latest request will strip him of that protection remains disputed among legal scholars.

The indictment has fueled tension between the US and Mexican governments. Sheinbaum has rejected Washington's request to arrest and extradite the defendants without credible evidence, insisting any prosecution take place in Mexico.

Sinaloa has been engulfed for nearly two years in a violent conflict between rival factions of the cartel that bears the state's name. Following the indictment, the mayor of Culiacán and the state's deputy attorney general also stepped down, while two former senior state officials surrendered to US authorities.