Is Ruben Rocha Moya, the Biggest Fish of the Sinaloa Ten, negotiating his surrender with the U.S. government?
On April 29th, 2026, a U.S. federal court indicted ten Mexican officials and former officials, all from the state of Sinaloa, for involvement with the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. This indictment was issued by the Southern District of New York, in Manhattan, a U.S. District Court.
The night before, on April 28th, the Mexican foreign ministry had received requests for extradition for the ten.
The Biggest Fish indicted was Ruben Rocha Moya, then serving as Governor of the state of Sinaloa, and a member of President Sheinbaum’s MORENA party. Rocha claimed innocence and took an official temporary leave of absence to fight the charges.
Since the indictment, 3 of the Sinaloa Ten have turned themselves in to U.S. authorities: 1.Gerardo Merida Sanchez, (Former Secretary of Public Security for Sinaloa)
2.Enrique Diaz Vega (Former Secretary of Administration and Finance for Sinaloa)
3.Enrique Inzunza Cazarez. (At time of the indictment a sitting Mexican Senator from Sinaloa)
Now there’s a report that Ruben Rocha himself might be negotiating to surrender.
From Infobae: “Ruben Rocha Moya… is in conversations with authorities of the United States to negotiate his possible surrender…”
The source?
“This was revealed by Jesús Lemus Barajas, journalist and writer specializing in organized crime, who in an interview with Infobae México explained that Rocha Moya allegedly sent one of his lawyers to dialogue with the U.S. Attorney General’s office this past Saturday [July 18].“
“ ‘This weekend, one of his lawyers opened the possibility (of negotiating). With the United States he is seeking the possibility of sitting down to negotiate and to dialogue. There is no doubt he is going to surrender,’ affirmed Lemus.”
According to Lemus, Rocha wants to become an informant and a protected witness.
As Lemus points out, the U.S. government only negotiates with an informant who is going to rat out somebody higher up. Rocha was a governor, so it would have to be somebody or various somebodies who are higher than a governor.
This could be interesting….
Previous articles on the Sinaloa Ten:
U.S. Court Indicts Ten Mexican Officials and Former Officials for Cartel Involvement; What Will Sheinbaum Do?
Governor Rocha of Sinaloa Says He’s Innocent; Takes Temporary Leave of Absence from Governorship
The Sinaloa Indictment Saga Continues
Where is Ruben Rocha?
Mexico’s Indictment Crisis: Two in U.S. Custody
Senator Inzunza Detained; 3 of the Sinaloa Ten Now in U.S. Custody