MORENA distances itself from fugitive governor who resumes office

Sinaloa’s governor, Ruben Rocha Moya, declared on Friday that he would return to his post after having withdrawn in April when U.S. authorities indicted him on drug-trafficking and weapons offenses, making him a wanted fugitive. Mexico’s interior secretary, Rosa Icela Rodriguez, told reporters the move was Rocha Moya’s personal choice and that the federal attorney general’s office has not closed its probe, offering no justification for his comeback.

In response, the leadership of the ruling MORENA party released a statement asserting that no party officials had been in contact with the governor and that the organization was distancing itself from him. Later, the remaining MORENA governors issued a joint message urging Rocha Moya to act responsibly and emphasizing that personal decisions should not jeopardize the party’s interests. President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who had previously dismissed the indictment as politically motivated, offered only a brief statement about feeling ill, contrasting sharply with her earlier defense of the governor. The episode has sparked internal conflict within MORENA and raised questions about the party’s handling of officials facing serious criminal charges.