During her morning press conference on May 6, 2026, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo announced that the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs (SRE) sent a diplomatic note to the United States on Tuesday, requesting that U.S. authorities disclose any evidence they have against ten Mexican citizens accused of alleged drug trafficking ties including Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya.
“What have we said? Evidence, evidence. So in response to this request, give us evidence, because there is none,” Sheinbaum said. “Yesterday, the Foreign Secretariat sent the diplomatic note stating, in accordance with the consultation I had with the Attorney General’s Office and our own legal advisors, that we are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to send us proof. What evidence do they have?”
The president argued that it is unfair to invoke the rule of law for some matters while ignoring it for others. She also suggested that much of what appears in the media resembles “science fiction,” lacking any real credibility.
“Where do they get this stuff? Pure lies, absolute fiction. There’s not even science anymore. They’re fiction writers. I’ve already asked Miguel Elorza to compile all the fictional stories from the past week,” she said.
Sheinbaum concluded with a firm statement:
“The people of Mexico must understand two things clearly. First, that this president does not cover for anyone, not a single person, regardless of their political affiliation. Second, that the Attorney General’s Office must carry out the investigations because that is its responsibility. If it needs support from the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, there is a national intelligence and investigation system and legal frameworks in place to make that happen. But there must also be evidence, not rumors, not inventions.”
On April 29, the U.S. Federal Prosecutor’s Office filed criminal drug trafficking charges against Governor Rocha Moya and nine other individuals. According to U.S. authorities, the governor and the other accused collaborated with the Sinaloa Cartel to send drugs into the United States.
That same day, Rocha Moya issued a written statement categorically and absolutely rejecting the charges. By May 1, he had requested a leave of absence as governor of Sinaloa while Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR) continues its own investigation.
