2 May (Reuters) – The Mexican governor of the State of Sinaloa, Ruben Rocha, said on Friday night that he would step down, days after the United States accused him of involvement with the powerful Sinaloa Cartel.
Although he said he would temporarily step down from his position, Rocha said in a statement issued by the government of Sinaloa that the allegations against him were false and malicious.
‘I can look my people and my family in the eye, because I have not betrayed them and will never betray them, and I will demonstrate this firmly at the moment our country’s justice institutions demand it,’ he said.
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Rocha belongs to the ruling Morena party.
The US Department of Justice has accused Rocha and other Morena officials of conspiring with leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel to send large quantities of narcotics to the US in exchange for political support and bribes. The accusation placed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in a difficult political position.
The U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, and the Sinaloa state government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
