Sinaloa Police and Prosecutors Conspired to Cover Up Killing of the Governor's Opponent, Federal Authorities Say

Federal prosecutors in Mexico have accused police officers, forensic examiners, and state prosecutors in Sinaloa of conspiring to cover up the killing of Héctor Cuén, a political opponent of Governor Rubén Rocha Moya. Officials alleged that Sinaloa authorities manipulated evidence for that purpose, including a blood-stained truck found at the crime scene, to misrepresent the scene of Cuén's death.

The allegations further complicate the political situation for Rocha, a member of President Claudia Sheinbaum's ruling Morena Party. Rocha previously said that Cuén was killed during a botched robbery at a gas station miles away from the original crime scene, a narrative that prosecutors now dispute.

Federal authorities found discrepancies in security footage from the gas station, noting that only one gunshot could be heard while Cuén's autopsy revealed four gunshot wounds. Gas station employees also reported they did not hear any shots.

Prosecutors also revealed that Sinaloa officials allowed Cuén's body to be cremated soon after his death, violating investigative protocols. The investigation also uncovered blood from one of drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada's bodyguards in the bed of a white pickup truck linked to the case, suggesting that state officials either found and disposed of the bodyguard's corpse or used the vehicle to stage the gas station robbery.

The events surrounding Cuén's death are seemingly intertwined with the abduction of Zambada, the co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel. Zambada claimed that he was lured to a meeting by Joaquín Guzmán López, a rival cartel leader and son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, in an effort to mediate political tensions between Rocha and Cuén. Zambada alleges he was kidnapped at the same ranch where Cuén was killed and later turned over to U.S. authorities. His two bodyguards who accompanied him to the meeting remain missing.

Governor Rocha has denied any involvement, saying he was in California on the day of the meeting. While flight records show Rocha used a private jet to travel, he has not produced immigration documents to confirm his entry into the United States.

Zambada's claims and the resulting cartel infighting have further destabilized Sinaloa. Violent clashes between Zambada's faction, known as the "Mayitos," and Guzmán López's group, the "Chapitos," have erupted across the state. Rocha has downplayed the escalating violence, stating publicly that the situation is under control, even as shootings, kidnappings, and cartel blockades persist.

However, Rocha Moya is being investigated for alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel faction known as "Los Chapitos," led by the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.Although Sinaloa's governor has denied any wrongdoing or ties with criminal groups, an intelligence report from SEDENA obtained by Proceso magazine details cooperation between Rocha Moya and the faction known as "Los Chapitos."

The report details that Rocha Moya has grown "extremely nervous" and "deeply worried" about his and his family's safety since Zambada was detained by U.S. officials in July.

The document reveals that Rocha Moya counts with protection 24 hours a day by members of the National Guard and the Navy, putting at his disposal armored trucks as well as snipers as the governor could be the target of an assassination plot.