SerpApi.Org
After nearly three months away from the public eye, former Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya is allegedly in talks with U.S. officials in hopes of securing more favorable legal treatment after being indicted on allegations of having ties with the Sinaloa Cartel and the Los Chapitos faction.
According to journalist Jesús Lemus, who spoke with Infobae México in an exclusive interview, Rocha Moya allegedly sent one of his attorneys to begin talks with U.S. federal prosecutors on July 18.
"Last weekend, one of his attorneys opened the door to negotiations. He is looking for the possibility of sitting down with the United States to negotiate and hold talks. He is undoubtedly going to surrender," Lemus said.
Lemus, a journalist and author who specializes in organized crime, said Rocha Moya's attorneys spoke directly with U.S. prosecutors about the possibility of him becoming a cooperating witness.
Lemus also revealed that reaching such an agreement could prove difficult because Rocha Moya still intends to return to office as governor of Sinaloa. According to Lemus, his sources say Rocha Moya has also asked President Claudia Sheinbaum to allow him to resume his duties as governor.
"He is essentially imprisoned in his own home, surrounded by federal government personnel. He has been asking for more freedom and has already asked the president to let him return to office, but she told him to be patient. That is, apparently, what prompted him to seek contact with the U.S. government," Lemus said.
Last month, journalist Raymundo Riva Palacio wrote in his Estrictamente Personal column that Rocha Moya was hiding at a ranch about 70 miles north of Culiacán, Sinaloa, where he reportedly relocated almost immediately after U.S. authorities unsealed the indictment against him and nine other Sinaloa government officials.
For Lemus, Rocha Moya's latest move signals that he has already made the decision to become a protected witness in the United States, just as others linked to the indictment have done, including former Sinaloa Public Security Secretary Gerardo Mérida Sánchez, who turned himself in and offered to cooperate with U.S. authorities.
"I don't think it's still under consideration. The moment he sent an attorney to act as an intermediary with the U.S. government and federal prosecutors, I think the decision was already made. He is actively pursuing it," Lemus said.
Apart from Mérida Sánchez, reports cited by Infobae México state that Enrique Díaz Vega, Sinaloa's former finance secretary, also surrendered to U.S. authorities, although his name does not appear in any public U.S. custody records.
For Lemus, the surrender of two members of Rocha Moya's administration has increased the pressure on the former governor to pursue a deal with U.S. prosecutors.
"Gen. Gerardo Mérida is going to put him in the spotlight. I think Rocha Moya has already assessed his chances and knows his current position is no longer sustainable. He cannot remain in that situation forever. Even if he manages to get through the rest of his term, who can guarantee that the next administration won't end up putting him in prison?" Lemus said.
The indictment, unveiled by the U.S. government on April 29, accuses Rocha Moya of receiving support from Los Chapitos to win the governorship and, once in office, allowed violence to continue unchecked while protecting cartel leaders and their drug trafficking operations.
Prosecutors say the alleged corruption extended to local law enforcement agencies, including the Sinaloa State Police, the state attorney general's investigative police and the Culiacán municipal police, which they accuse of protecting drug trafficking operations in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes.
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