Mexico's attorney general's office reported that it summoned the governor of the northern state of Sinaloa, accused by the United States of drug trafficking, to testify.

Rubén Rocha Moya, 76, who belongs to the party of the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, was accused at the end of April by the US justice system of having ties to the Sinaloa cartel, after which the governor asked for leave.

The agency called to testify nine other Sinaloa officials whom the United States accused of drug trafficking along with Rocha Moya.

The prosecution said in a statement that it seeks to advance “seriously and exhaustively” in the investigation into Rocha Moya. However, the entity did not detail appearance dates, procedural quality of Rocha Moya and the others cited, or whether the interviews will lead to new proceedings.

Sheinbaum has insisted that the United States present evidence against Rocha Moya. He has also said that his government will not protect any politician who has ties to organized crime.

“If there is evidence, let the prosecution act,” said the president.

The local newspaper Milenio reported that “Rocha Moya reappeared on social networks to publicly report that he received a summons to appear before the Prosecutor's Office.”

The summons occurs after the Prosecutor's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on April 29 an indictment against Rocha Moya and nine other current or former officials and commanders of Sinaloa for drug trafficking and weapons crimes.

The US accusations

The US Department of Justice maintained that the defendants allegedly conspired with leaders of the Sinaloa cartel to import large quantities of narcotics into the United States in exchange for political support and bribes.

The list released by the Department of Justice includes, in addition to Rocha Moya, Senator Enrique Inzunza Cázares, former State Secretary Enrique Díaz Vega, Dámaso Castro Zaavedra, Marco Antonio Almanza Avilés, Alberto Jorge Contreras Núñez, Gerardo Mérida Sánchez, José Antonio Dionisio Hipólito, Juan de Dios Gámez Mendívil and Juan Valenzuela Millán.

The Sinaloa cartel is one of six Mexican drug trafficking groups designated by Washington as terrorist organizations.

According to the prosecutor's office, he also called the governor of the northern state of Chihuahua, Maru Campos, to testify for the death of two US agents in her state during April in a road accident.

The two cases have strained relations between Mexico and the administration of US President Donald Trump, in the midst of negotiations for the review of the vital USMCA trade agreement, of which Canada is also a part.