Ruben Rocha Moya, the governor of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, stepped down from office on Saturday for the second time in four months, ending a dramatic 36-hour comeback attempt that collapsed under the weight of U.S. drug trafficking charges and a revolt within his own ruling Morena party.
The 77-year-old governor returned to his post on Friday, August 21, after spending 112 days on a leave of absence triggered by a sweeping U.S. federal indictment. He announced his return on social media, declaring he had “a clear conscience” and was resuming his duties “with my head held high.” Within hours, his own party publicly disowned the decision.
The Indictment That Started It All
In late April 2026, U.S. federal prosecutors in New York unsealed an indictment naming Rocha Moya and nine other current and former Mexican officials on narcotics trafficking and weapons charges. The charges marked the first time U.S. authorities had publicly indicted a sitting Mexican governor. Prosecutors alleged the group conspired with the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, led by sons of imprisoned kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, to facilitate drug smuggling into the United States.
According to the indictment, the conspiracy included cartel members kidnapping and threatening opposition candidates during the 2021 election and stealing paper ballots cast against Rocha Moya. Officials were accused of receiving bribes and political support from the cartel in exchange for protecting smuggling operations. Rocha Moya faces charges including narcotics importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. If convicted, he could face life in prison or a mandatory minimum sentence of 40 years.
Rocha Moya denied all allegations, calling them “false and malicious” and framing them as a political attack against Mexico’s ruling party. He requested a temporary leave of absence on May 1 to cooperate with Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, and was replaced by interim governor Yeraldine Bonilla Valverde.
Party Revolt Forces Second Exit
After 112 days on leave, Rocha Moya moved to reclaim his post on Friday morning, notifying Sinaloa’s state congress and publishing a lengthy message on X. The reaction from Morena was swift and damaging. The party’s national leadership issued a statement calling the decision “personal and individual,” explicitly distancing itself. Ricardo Monreal, Morena’s leader in the Chamber of Deputies, posted a video publicly urging Rocha Moya to reverse course.
A joint statement from 23 Morena and allied-party governors declared that “personal or factional projects have no place when weighed against the nation’s wellbeing.” They called on Rocha Moya to show “maturity and responsibility,” warning that “excess and factional decisions undermine the principles of honesty and loyalty we swore to defend.”
President Claudia Sheinbaum, also from Morena, delivered the most pointed rebuke. Speaking from Mexico City, she said she learned of Rocha Moya’s return from his own social media post and had “no prior knowledge” of his intentions. She called the decision “imprudent, to say the least,” and warned that “no personal interest can ever be above the interests of the people and the nation.”
By Saturday afternoon, less than 36 hours after his return, Rocha Moya posted a new leave request to Sinaloa’s Congress, this time requesting indefinite leave “for more than thirty days.” The congress approved the request unanimously in an extraordinary session on Sunday, August 23.
What Comes Next for Sinaloa
Sheinbaum confirmed on Monday that Rocha Moya had requested “definitive leave, not resignation,” and called for the appointment of an interim governor to serve through the regular change of government scheduled for June 2027. She said she had not spoken with Rocha Moya “since the first time he requested leave” and denied any involvement in his decisions.
“Just as he made the personal decision to return, he also made the personal decision to step aside,” Sheinbaum told reporters. “I believe it is what is best for Sinaloa.” The Sinaloa Congress postponed its session to select an interim governor, delaying the decision pending further discussion.
The episode has intensified questions about U.S.-Mexico relations and the Trump administration’s pressure on Mexican officials over cartel ties. Trump has frequently claimed Mexico is governed by officials linked to drug trafficking, and the indictment of a sitting Morena governor provides ammunition for that narrative. Sheinbaum has rejected any U.S. military involvement in Mexico while maintaining that her government will not shield anyone accused of crimes.
The most striking detail came from Rocha Moya’s own official X account, which published a message describing him as “a narco-politician backed, covered for, and protected by the Morena government,” calling him “cynical” and “corrupt.” The post, whose origin remained unclear, captured how thoroughly his political standing had collapsed within his own ranks over a single weekend.
discussion