by Allan Wall, Mexico News Report, ©2026
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(May 1, 2026) — On April 29th, 2026, a U.S. federal court indicted ten Mexican officials and former officials, all from the state of Sinaloa, for involvement with the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Click here for the indictment, click here for the press release.
The indictment was issued by the Southern District of New York, in Manhattan, a U.S. District Court.
Each of the ten were indicted for the same three charges: “Narcotics importation conspiracy; Possession of machineguns and destructive devices; Conspiracy to possess machineguns and destructive devices”.
In addition, one of the accused, Juan Valenzuela Millan, was also indicted for “Kidnapping resulting in death; Conspiracy to commit kidnapping resulting in death”.
The ten are all government officials or former government officials from the state of Sinaloa, home of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The Sinaloa Cartel is currently undergoing an intra-cartel war, pitting La Mayiza faction, led by the son of “El Mayo” Zambada, against the Chapitos, sons of “El Chapo” Guzman. The ten man being indicted are alleged to be associated with the Chapitos faction.
The biggest fish being indicted is Ruben Rocha Moya, current Governor of the state of Sinaloa, and a member of President Sheinbaum’s MORENA party.
Read the rest here.