Mexico Governor Ruben Rocha returns to office despite US criminal charges

The governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Ruben Rocha Moya, has returned to his post after facing accusations of drug trafficking from the United States government.

On Friday, Rocha announced on social media that he had resumed his duties, after taking a leave of absence on May 1.

He used his post to maintain his innocence after the US charged him with protecting a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for help with his political career.

“Today, I return to my responsibilities as governor of Sinaloa with a clear conscience and my head held high, with the power of the truth on our side,” Rocha said.

“Let there be no doubt: Now and always, I will defend — relentlessly and without compromise — my honour and that of my family.”

Rocha is one of several Mexican officials who have faced criminal charges and other punitive measures under the second administration of US President Donald Trump.

Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has sought to crack down on crime across the Western Hemisphere, including by labelling gangs like the Sinaloa Cartel as “foreign terrorist organisations”.

Trump has also threatened military action in Mexico. He has accused the country’s cartels of “orchestrating much of the bloodshed and chaos in this hemisphere” and has depicted the Mexican government as overrun by criminal elements .