Mexico: Senator Enrique Inzunza, accused of drug trafficking in the US, rules out becoming a protected witness

Mexican Sen. Enrique Inzunza, indicted in the United States on drug trafficking charges, rejected on Monday the possibility of becoming a protected witness for the U.S. justice system, in the context of an unprecedented case against several Mexican political leaders.

At a press conference, he claimed to be the target of "slander" and described the charges against him as a "tool of judicial warfare."

He denied the possibility of becoming a protected witness. "It's another one of the many lies that have been told," he said. "Never, I will never have" that benefit. "I am a Mexican who believes in his country's institutions; I am a sovereignist."

The DOJ targets the Sinaloa Cartel's leadership

The Department of Justice (DOJ) charged Sen. Enrique Inzunza in April with collusion with the Sinaloa Cartel to smuggle drugs into U.S. territory, along with Rubén Rocha Moya, then acting governor of Sinaloa, and eight other current or former officials from that state. Washington requested their arrest for extradition; the Mexican government responded that the case file did not, for the time being, justify their extradition. According to the AFP news agency, this is the first time Washington has filed public charges against a sitting Mexican politician.

Both Rocha Moya and Inzunza were members of the leftist Morena party, led by President Claudia Sheinbaum. Inzunza broke away from that caucus in late August and now serves as a senator without a parliamentary group.

Rocha, Inzunza and the alleged pact with "Los Chapitos"

According to the DOJ, Los Chapitos allegedly facilitated Rubén Rocha Moya's rise to the governorship of Sinaloa in early November 2021, even resorting to kidnappings and intimidation of rivals. Rocha reportedly met with these leaders, promised to protect them and, once in office, allowed them to operate with impunity.

The U.S. indictment describes Inzunza, a former secretary of the interior and senator, as a liaison between Rocha and the cartel leaders, responsible for securing the state government's support for Los Chapitos and for helping to place sympathetic officials within the police forces so that drug trafficking could continue unchecked

Rubén Rocha Moya announced in August his intention to step aside from office once again, just one day after returning to his post following an investigation by the Mexican Attorney General's Office. He did not resign: he requested an indefinite leave of absence and remains governor-elect, although he is not currently in office. His decision drew criticism from President Claudia Sheinbaum, who, without explicitly naming him, wrote on social media that "no personal interest can take precedence over the interests of the people."