The Mexican government is looking to take legal action against governors from border states. Their alleged offense? Collaborating with U.S. agencies to combat drug cartels.
This week, the attorney general’s office in Mexico questioned Maria Eugenia “Mar” Campos, the governor of Chihuahua. Initially, they summoned her as a witness, a typical move before any potential indictment. The situation has sparked quite a controversy in Mexico.
The case traces back to April when two U.S. officials tragically died in a highway accident while returning from a police operation aimed at one of the largest drug labs in the country. Rather than acknowledging the event, Mexico’s federal government raised concerns about CIA activity within its borders, asserting that it infringed upon national sovereignty.
This issue coincided with an announcement from the U.S. government regarding the indictment of members from Mexico’s ruling MORENA party for their ties to the Sinaloa cartel.
One of those indicted is Ruben Rocha Moya, the sitting governor of Sinaloa. President Claudia Sheinbaum has been vigorously defending Rocha Moya, arguing there’s no evidence against him, striving to block his extradition to the U.S. This defense has created tension with the American government, which is pushing harder to target both the cartels and their political backers.
In the case involving Mar Campos, Sheinbaum went so far as to label the governor’s dealings with foreign agencies as treasonous, calling for an investigation.
Shortly after her first questioning, Campos was subpoenaed again in relation to a kidnapping case. Allegations suggest he conspired to kidnap his predecessor, a politician named Javier Corral, who has links to the cartel. This comes following Campos’ attempts to arrest Corral on corruption allegations from his time as governor.
Interestingly, Corral has recently aligned himself with the MORENA party and has met with an associate of Rocha Moya, who is also facing drug charges in the U.S. Since joining forces with MORENA, Corral seems to have shielded himself from political adversaries.
