US charges Mexican governor and other leaders with aiding drug cartel

US prosecutors have accused the sitting governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa, Rúben Rocha Moya, of conspiring with cartel drug traffickers. Moya, who hails from the party of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, is charged alongside nine other current and former Mexican government officials.In response, the Mexican government released a statement saying the US documents requesting the groups' arrest and potential extradition lacked the sufficient evidence.There have long been allegations against Rocha, who is governor of a state where the powerful Sinaloa Cartel is based. The organisation is embroiled in a violent conflict between two warring factions. He has denied any wrongdoing. The indictment, released in New York on Wednesday, claims the elected leaders "conspired with leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel to import massive quantities of narcotics into the United States in exchange for political support and bribes".Moya is accused of having ties to the notorious Sinaloa Cartel and has been indicted over allegedly abusing his position as governor to protect one faction of the cartel, known as Los Chapitos. "The Sinaloa Cartel is not just trafficking deadly drugs, it is a designated terrorist organization that relies on corruption and bribery to drive violence and profit," said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole.He added that the group "used positions of trust to protect cartel operations, enabling a pipeline of deadly drugs into our country".