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The Mexican administration is challenging a sweeping indictment revealed by the U.S. on Wednesday, which implicates the governor of Sinaloa along with ten other senior officials in orchestrating a lethal drug trafficking scheme in collaboration with the Sinaloa Cartel.
Shortly after the U.S. unveiled charges that allege the officials shielded cartel leaders, assisted in smuggling fentanyl into the U.S., and were complicit in the torture and killing of a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) informant, Mexico’s Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) responded, asserting that the U.S. failed to substantiate its claims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York alleges that these officials accepted millions in kickbacks from the “Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, enabling the cartel to operate without interference and turning the region into a hub for the global narcotics trade.
In an official statement, Mexico’s SRE acknowledged that the U.S. Embassy in Mexico had received extradition requests on Tuesday evening. Following a legal assessment, the Mexican government concluded that the U.S. documentation lacks the necessary evidence to hold the officials accountable for the purported offenses.
The indictment from the U.S. accuses Sinaloa’s governor and ten other high-ranking officials of having connections with the Sinaloa Cartel. (Solidago/Getty Images)
The SRE said it forwarded the requests to Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, which will evaluate the evidence and decide if there is any legal viability to arrest and extradite the officials under the Mexican justice system.
The cartel bust has sparked immediate diplomatic friction between the two nations, with Mexico criticizing U.S. officials’ decision to publicly announce the indictments. Mexican officials said existing bilateral treaties mandate strict confidentiality.
President Donald Trump talks to the media near the White House about his strategy to combat illegal drug flow into the U.S. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
In response, the Mexican government said it is sending a formal diplomatic reprimand called an “extrañamiento” to the U.S. Embassy to formally protest how the charges were publicized.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ron Johnson said the embassy “takes note” of the unsealing of criminal charges against Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya and others.
“Combating corruption and transnational criminal activity is a shared priority for the United States and Mexico,” Johnson wrote. “Our countries have pledged to strengthen transparency, enforce anti-corruption laws, and uphold the rule of law. This is what our citizens on both sides of the border want, and, as I have said repeatedly, this is what they deserve.”
He added the U.S. will continue to work in close coordination with Mexico’s leadership to “advance accountability, strengthen institutions, and promote security and prosperity for our peoples.”
“We remain committed to a partnership grounded in mutual trust, shared responsibility, and the rule of law,” Johnson wrote. “While we cannot comment on the individual facts of these indictments, and the legal process will need to play out, one thing is certain: corruption that enables organized crime and harms both our countries will be investigated and prosecuted wherever U.S. jurisdiction applies.”
The White House and Mexico’s Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York declined comment.