US accuses Mexican governor Ruben Rocha Moya of working with El Chapo's sons

The US has charged the governor of Mexico's Sinaloa state and nine other current or former officials with drug trafficking and weapons offences.

They are accused of helping the infamous Sinaloa cartel send vast amounts of narcotics across the border.

The cartel was previously run by drug lord 'El Chapo', now in a US prison, and those named are said to be aligned with a faction now run by his sons, known as the "Chapitos".

Ruben Rocha Moya, who has been Sinaloa governor since 2021, is the most high profile of those named.

The indictment alleges he "attended meetings with the Chapitos, at which he promised to protect the Chapitos as they distributed massive quantities of drugs to the United States" and has allowed them to act with impunity.

"Similarly, the other defendants have directly and repeatedly helped the Chapitos in exchange for massive drug-fueled bribes," the unsealed New York indictment claims.

Mr Rocha Moya's office did not respond to early request for comment, but he has previously denied claims of corruption.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government had not seen "any evidence" of the charges.

"Any investigation in the United States against any person in Mexico must have evidence reviewed by the (Mexican) Attorney General's Office," she said.

The other people accused are current and former government or law enforcement officials.

They include the mayor of Sinaloa's capital Culiacan, a senator, and the state's deputy attorney general. None of the ten are in custody.

US attorney Jay Clayton said Mexican drugs cartels "would not operate as freely or successfully without corrupt politicians and law enforcement officials on their payroll".

He called the Sinaloa group "a ruthless criminal organisation that has flooded this community with dangerous drugs for decades".

The charges come after America's ambassador to Mexico, Ron Johnson, said last week the US was launching a campaign targeting Mexican officials linked to organised crime.

"Corruption not only hinders progress, it distorts it. It increases costs, weakens competition, and erodes the trust upon which markets depend. It is not a problem without victims," Mr Johnson said.

President Trump has frequently spoken of his determination to fight the flow of drugs such as fentanyl and cocaine, and in January claimed it as justification for deposing Venezuela's president.

Another major drug boss known as "El Mencho" was killed in February after a Mexican special forces operation ‌using US intelligence support.

(c) Sky News 2026: US accuses Mexican governor Ruben Rocha Moya of working with El Chapo's sons