Mexican governor accused by US of cartel ties returns to office

In a statement on X, Rocha denied any wrongdoing and characterized the U.S. case as a politically motivated attack on Mexico's sovereignty and the leftist movement led by President Claudia Sheinbaum. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mexico has thus far declined to comply with U.S. efforts to take Rocha into custody, asserting that Washington has not provided sufficient evidence to warrant domestic arrest warrants or extradition. For U.S. officials, the April indictment represented a rare instance of anti-cartel action extending beyond drug lords to include a high-ranking Mexican politician.

U.S. prosecutors have accused Rocha and nine other current and former officials of conspiring with Los Chapitos, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, to facilitate drug trafficking into the United States in exchange for political support and bribes. Rocha has consistently denied these allegations. He temporarily stepped aside in early May while Mexican authorities reviewed the case and stated on Friday that he was returning with his "head held high."