Mexico’s president says US accusations against Sinaloa governor political

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum called on the US to present evidence following a request for the extradition of 10 Mexican citizens, including the governor of Sinaloa state from the ruling party, and described the US demands as an attempt at intervention.

The US Department of Justice requested that Mexico’s Foreign Ministry extradite 10 Mexican citizens, including high-ranking public officials and Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya, on charges related to drug trafficking.

President Sheinbaum addressed the request and immediately asked the administration of President Donald Trump to present irrefutable evidence supporting the charges they are seeking to bring against the public officials.

In her press conference, the president stated that if no evidence is provided, the accusations made by Mexico’s northern neighbor are politically motivated and aimed at intervening in the decisions of the Mexican government. She added that any crime committed by a public official must be prosecuted in accordance with Mexican law.

“We will not protect anyone who has committed a crime. However, if there is no clear evidence, it is evident that the objective of these accusations by the Department of Justice is political,” she said.

According to information presented during today’s briefing, Mexico’s Foreign Ministry received the request on April 28, the same day that the Mexican Attorney General’s Office announced its own investigation into possible crimes against national sovereignty following the presence of two agents from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), who died after being involved in a counter-narcotics operation in northwestern Mexico.

Drug cartels have become a focal point in diplomatic tensions between the two neighboring countries. The Trump administration has promised a series of security measures aimed at combating drug trafficking, ranging from covert operations and troop deployments to drone airstrikes.

For its part, the Mexican government, led by Sheinbaum, has described Trump’s repeated remarks as interventionist.

Confrontations between the two neighboring governments have created tensions within Mexico’s political landscape. The main opposition forces have seized on Trump’s actions to criticize the government for failing to control the insecurity prevailing in the country.

The National Action Party (PAN), the main opposition party, has been highly critical of Sheinbaum’s administration over its investigation into the two CIA agents and has called for the dissolution of powers in Sinaloa following the US extradition request against Governor Rocha.