The governor of Mexico’s Sinaloa state announced Friday evening that he will temporarily leave his position, according to a New York Times report published Saturday.
Ruben Rocha’s decision comes after the U.S. Justice Department filed charges Wednesday against him and several other Mexican officials, accusing them of collaborating with the notorious Sinaloa Cartel. The federal charges represent a major expansion of American efforts to combat drug trafficking organizations and are expected to strain diplomatic relations between Washington and Mexico City.
The Sinaloa Cartel is one of Mexico’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations, known for smuggling massive quantities of narcotics into the United States.
