By Raul Cortes and Natalia Siniawski
MEXICO CITY, Aug 24 (Reuters) – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Monday it was “reckless” and “not appropriate” for Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha Moya to return to his post while facing a domestic investigation following U.S. drug trafficking allegations.
Rocha, 77, a member of the ruling Morena party, dramatically returned to office on Friday but backtracked on Saturday following sharp backlash from Sheinbaum and others.
Sheinbaum has trod carefully around the explosive allegations against Rocha. While rejecting a U.S. extradition request as lacking sufficient evidence, she has backed a Mexican investigation into the governor and hinted that his push to return to office was driven by self-interest.
U.S. prosecutors charged Rocha in April with conspiring with the Sinaloa Cartel to traffic drugs into the United States in exchange for bribes and political support. Rocha is the first sitting governor in Mexico to face drug trafficking charges by the U.S.
Rocha has denied the charges, calling them a politically motivated attack. He stepped down for three months before announcing on X on Friday that he had resumed power with a “clear conscience” and his “head held high.”
“I had no prior knowledge that he wanted to return,” Sheinbaum said at her daily morning press conference on Monday. “I don’t know what led the governor — who is once again on leave — to return,” Sheinbaum added. “I haven’t spoken to him, nor do I intend to.”
The Sinaloa state congress is expected to appoint an interim governor this week.
(Reporting by Raul Cortes and Natalia Siniawski; Additional reporting by Diego Ore and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Editing by Emily Green and Mark Porter)
