denied Thursday that he was in hiding after his recent US indictment on drugs charges. The US Department of Justice announced charges against Rocha Moya and nine others in late April, alleging collusion with the infamous Sinaloa Cartel to distribute drugs inside the United States -- marking the first time the US had publicly charged a sitting Mexican politician. "I have stayed, without moving, in my home in the city of Culiacan," he wrote on X, referring to the state's capital. "Federal agents don't protect or watch over me." In recent days, unconfirmed reports emerged that federal security forces had whisked him to another location to evade capture in a potential US operation. No operation is known to be planned.

The governor alleged he was a victim of a "media onslaught" and an "attack promoted by the far right." The 77-year-old politician took a leave of absence from the governorship in May, but did not fully step down. He belongs to the left-leaning Morena party of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and her mentor and predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Sheinbaum previously said that Rocha Moya remained at home without federal security protection -- and requested the US provide "irrefutable" evidence before she would act against him. The Sinaloa cartel is one of six Mexican drug gangs that US President Donald Trump has designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The namesake state has been a flashpoint in relations between the two North American countries, with Mexico announcing earlier this week a probe over the 2004 US capture of Sinaloa Cartel cofounder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and any potential sovereignty violations.  (Bssnews)