Mexico Freezes Accounts of Officials Tied to Cartel

Mexico has frozen the bank accounts of former officials accused by the United States of ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum. The move comes as two high-ranking former officials from Sinaloa state surrendered to U.S. authorities last week.

The Financial Intelligence Unit froze the accounts of Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and other current and former officials facing U.S. charges, per UPI. Sheinbaum described the freeze as a preventive measure rather than part of a domestic investigation, according to Reuters. The action follows an indictment unsealed on April 29 that alleges the officials aided drug traffickers in exchange for political support and bribes.

The two former officials who surrendered are Gerardo Mérida Sánchez, the state’s former security minister, and Enrique Díaz Vega, the former finance minister. Both have reportedly begun plea negotiations with U.S. prosecutors, per UPI. They could provide documents and testimony related to alleged illicit campaign financing and high-level political protection networks in exchange for reduced sentences.

Sheinbaum has resisted extraditing Rocha Moya, repeatedly requesting more evidence from U.S. authorities. She emphasized that Mexico would not protect anyone guilty of wrongdoing but insisted on seeing clear evidence before taking domestic action. The case has raised pressure on Sheinbaum as the United States broadens its anti-cartel campaign to target politicians and public officials.

In private meetings with Morena party officials, Sheinbaum has told them to resign if involved in acts of corruption, according to Reuters. This message was delivered at a meeting with Morena governors last Thursday at the National Palace. She did not mention names nor specify actions for those who do not step down.

The U.S. indictment has triggered internal divisions within the Morena party, with some factions advocating for protecting officials from U.S. intervention while others push for combating corruption within the party ranks. There is also growing concern that the U.S. could use anti-terrorism laws to target Mexican officials and potentially implicate the Morena party itself.

Sheinbaum is set to meet with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Thursday as tensions between Mexico and the U.S. continue to escalate, according to UPI. The diplomatic spat was sparked by the death of two U.S. officials in a car crash in northern Mexico last month, which sources say were CIA officers.

The visit comes after federal prosecutors in New York filed narcotics trafficking charges against 10 current and former officials from the state of Sinaloa, including Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya, over alleged drug trafficking and weapons offenses, per UPI. According to the newspaper El Universal, it is the first time Washington has demanded the urgent arrest of sitting politicians by linking them directly to the Sinaloa cartel.

The diplomatic agenda includes discussions on fentanyl trafficking, money laundering, arms smuggling and Mexico's complaints over the deaths of 15 Mexican migrants while in custody at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers, according to UPI. The two-day official visit was arranged directly after a phone call between Sheinbaum and President Donald Trump.