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The erstwhile caput of nationalist information for Mexico's Sinaloa authorities appeared successful a U.S. tribunal connected Friday (May 15, 2026), days aft his apprehension successful Arizona connected charges helium and different officials took bribes to assistance the Sinaloa Cartel smuggle immense quantities of drugs into the U.S.
Gerardo Merida Sanchez, 66, was not required to participate a plea during his archetypal quality successful national tribunal successful Manhattan. He was ordered jailed but could petition bail astatine a aboriginal date. He is owed backmost successful tribunal connected June 1. A connection seeking remark was near for his lawyer.
Merida Sanchez is 1 of 10 existent oregon erstwhile Sinaloa Government oregon instrumentality enforcement officials charged by the U.S. past period and the archetypal to look successful court. He is charged with narcotics importation conspiracy, possession of instrumentality guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to person instrumentality guns and destructive devices and faces 40 years to beingness successful situation if convicted.
Other defendants see Gov Ruben Rocha Moya and Mayor Juan de Dios Gamez Mendivil of the Sinaloa authorities superior of Culiacan, some of whom said they were taking impermanent leaves of lack to woody with the charges. They person yet to beryllium apprehended.
Mexico's Security Cabinet stated connected societal media that Merida Sanchez entered the U.S. from Hermosillo, Sonora, connected Monday (May 11), and was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service astatine the Nogales borderline crossing into Arizona. He appeared successful tribunal successful Arizona earlier being moved to New York, tribunal records show.
Merida Sanchez was Secretary of Public Security, an appointed cabinet-level presumption successful Moya's Sinaloa government, from September 2023 until his resignation successful December 2024. He was liable for overseeing the Sinaloa State Police and appointing its director.
Merida Sanchez is accused of taking astatine slightest $100,000 successful monthly currency bribes from “Los Chapitos,” a Sinaloa Cartel faction tally by the sons of incarcerated ex-cartel person Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, successful speech for arresting rivals and providing accusation astir ongoing investigations and planned cause raids.
In 2023 alone, Merida Sanchez warned the Chapitos astir astatine slightest 10 upcoming raids connected labs and harmless houses wherever they stored drugs, weapons, and money, allowing them to region unit and grounds of transgression enactment earlier they happened, according to an indictment unsealed past month.
Some of the indicted officials are members of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum 's progressive Morena party.
After the indictment was announced, Ms. Sheinbaum said she wouldn't support anyone recovered to person committed a transgression but argued that, if authorities uncovered “irrefutable” grounds linking the officials to cartel crime, they should beryllium tried successful Mexico, not the U.S.
“We volition ne'er subordinate ourselves due to the fact that this is simply a substance of the dignity of the Mexican people,” she said, risking backlash from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened subject enactment against cartels connected Mexican soil.
Mexico's Foreign Ministry and Security Cabinet person been maintaining organization connection with U.S. authorities wrong the model of planetary practice mechanisms.
“El Chapo” was convicted successful 2019 and sentenced to beingness successful prison.
Another Sinaloa kingpin, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, pleaded blameworthy past twelvemonth to U.S. cause trafficking charges and apologised for helping flood the state with cocaine, heroin and different illicit substances and for fuelling deadly unit successful Mexico. He is scheduled to beryllium sentenced successful July to beingness successful prison.
Under Zambada and Guzman's leadership, prosecutors say, the Sinaloa cartel evolved from a determination subordinate into the largest cause trafficking organisation successful the world.
