President of Mexico states that U.S. extradition requests concerning the governor of Sinaloa and others necessitate “overwhelming evidence”
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Thursday that if the U.S. government provides adequate evidence against Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha and others accused in the U.S. of drug trafficking connections, the Mexican prosecutor’s office will act in accordance with the law.
However, she noted that if sufficient evidence is lacking, the charges from the U.S. Department of Justice seem to be politically motivated, suggesting that they may be an attempt to undermine Mexico’s sovereignty and influence its internal affairs. She also stated that under no circumstances would Mexico allow interference from a foreign government in its sovereign matters.
On Wednesday, the Justice Department announced charges against Rocha and several others for their conspiracy with the Sinaloa Cartel to import large amounts of narcotics into the United States in return for political backing and bribes.
The allegations against Rocha signify a new battleground in the United States’ battle against cartels. Although the U.S. has consistently targeted drug kingpins, it is uncommon for there to be indictments against current senior Mexican politicians.
“We will not offer protection to anyone who has committed a crime,” Sheinbaum stated during her regular morning press conference. However, the Department of Justice’s indictments are clearly political in nature, despite the lack of evidence.
