The U.S. House of Representatives’ Foreign Affairs Committee warned that the U.S. Justice Department’s formal indictment of Mexican officials, including Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha, “is only the beginning.”
In a statement published on X, the Committee said that “if you’re complicit in trafficking drugs into the United States, we will hold you accountable,” adding that “the days of impunity for narcoterrorists are over.”
The days of impunity for narcoterrorists are over.
From Nicolás Maduro to Rubén Rocha Moya, if you’re complicit in trafficking drugs into the United States, we will hold you accountable.
This is just the beginning. https://t.co/0h1gIGBCla
— House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority (@HouseForeignGOP) April 30, 2026
The Committee referenced a Wall Street Journal article about the indictments issued on Wednesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, which described the action as “sparking a diplomatic dispute with [Mexico’s] federal government amid rising pressure to fight powerful cartels.”
While President Claudia Sheinbaum has declared that she won’t protect anyone who has committed a crime, she insisted that until U.S. prosecutors present “irrefutable evidence,” the accusation must be viewed as politically motivated.
U.S. authorities are requesting the extradition of Rocha — a member of Sheinbaum’s ruling Morena party — creating a significant diplomatic challenge.
The committee’s stance suggests it views the issue as an international crisis, with potential to strain bilateral relations if the extradition is not handled quickly.
The Mexico-United States relationship is historically complex, and is currently experiencing a period of tension marked by security interests, political pressure and electoral calculations, as well as critical trade talks.
International security expert Abraham Serrano told the newspaper El Universal that, from Washington’s perspective, it’s not enough to simply combat the cartels; the goal is to dismantle the political “protective shield” that enables their operation.
On the other hand, Serrano said, Mexico insists that any action must be based on solid evidence and follow domestic legal procedures, especially when it involves active officials.
The content of the indictments
U.S. prosecutors accuse Rocha and nine other Sinaloa-based politicians and former government officials of ties to organized crime, specifically alleging their participation in narcotics distribution into the U.S., protection of the “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and weapons offenses.
The document alleges that the accused “abused their positions” to support the cartel in its activities in exchange for bribes and, in Rocha’s case, to guarantee his election through direct (and sometimes violent) intervention in the 2021 election process.
Rocha has vehemently denied the accusations and insists he will not seek a leave of absence.
While saying he has not had direct contact with Sheinbaum since the news broke, he acknowledged her public statements, saying that he understands she is seeking “to avoid stigmatizing the nation while defending national sovereignty amid a complex political and media environment.”
The opposition’s reaction
The opposition, however, is calling for Rocha to be removed from office and stripped of his immunity.
The Citizens Movement Party (MC) on Thursday submitted a formal request to Congress asking that it authorize impeachment proceedings.
“The least that Sinaloa officials formally accused by U.S. authorities can do is face this process without immunity,” said Jorge Álvarez Maynez, MC’s national leader.
The indictment also names Senator Enrique Inzunza and the mayor of Culiacán, the Sinaloa state capital, Juan de Dios Gámez. Both are members of Morena and both are mentioned in the MC impeachment request.
Mexico’s Congress is in recess and will not resume sessions until Sept. 1. Instead, the Permanent Congressional Commission will have to determine the admissibility of the impeachment request.
Morena holds a comfortable majority in the Permanent Commission and party members have voiced support for Rocha.
However, unlike in 2024 (after drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada publicly accused Rocha of nefarious dealings) when Morena lawmakers and governors took out full-page newspaper ads to proclaim their solidarity with the beleaguered governor, no such actions have been taken this week.
The stern warning issued by the U.S. Foreign Affairs Committee no doubt stirred concerns for other Morena politicians, at least 50 of whom have seen their U.S. visas revoked.
Rocha is also expected to skip the Morena national convention this weekend so as to avoid potential political costs for the ruling party and the government.
With reports from La Jornada, El Universal and El Financiero
