U.S. officials have charged Mexican state Governor Ruben Rocha and nine other current and former Mexican officials with drug trafficking and weapons offenses, according to an indictment unsealed in New York. The charges. Announced in a news release by federal officials, include allegations that the Sinaloa cartel used corrupt politicians and law enforcement to transport dangerous drugs into the United States.

Cartels and Corrupt Officials

The indictment names current and former government and law enforcement officials in Sinaloa, the birthplace of the Sinaloa Cartel. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton described the cartel as a “strict criminal organization” that has flooded the U.S. with dangerous drugs for decades, but the indictment alleges that these officials collectively received millions of dollars in drug money from the Chapitos, the sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Among those charged is Juan Valenzuela Millan, a high-level commander in the Culiacan Municipal Police, who allegedly received over $1,600 monthly from the Chapitos in exchange for carrying out arrests, kidnappings, and murders. In October 2023. Millan is accused of helping the Chapitos kidnap and torture a DEA confidential source and the source’s relative, who was later killed.

Funding Cartels Through Fraud

Separately, the FBI has warned of a growing trend in timeshare fraud schemes in Mexico, which are being used to fund violent cartels. Assistant Special Agent in Charge Paul Roberts said that these scams target older Americans, often tricking them into paying large sums of cash under false pretenses related to their timeshare properties.

According to Roberts. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the Gulf Cartel, and the Sinaloa Cartel have been running these fraud schemes for over 10 years. The FBI believes CJNG has been the most active in this form of fraud, based on financial tracing and complaint reporting — Independent call centers in Mexico are also likely involved in the schemes, which are technically a form of elder fraud.

Escalating Tensions and Legal Consequences

Roberts emphasized the devastating consequences for victims, who often lose significant sums of money, relationships, and emotional well-being. He also noted that these frauds are not just financially harmful but are being used to fund cartels that continue to expand their influence in Mexico and the U.S.

Clayton added that the Sinaloa Cartel and other drug trafficking organizations would not operate as successfully without the support of corrupt officials. “As the indictment lays bare,” he said, “these cartels rely on political and law enforcement complicity to move drugs into the U.S.”

So far, none of the defendants have been taken into U.S. custody. The charges represent a significant escalation in U.S. efforts to combat cartel influence and corruption at the local and national levels in Mexico.