Morena officials face U.S. allegations of ties to organized crime

Several high-ranking members and former officials of Mexico’s Morena party are facing allegations of links to organized crime, drug trafficking, and fuel theft, according to investigations and U.S. authorities.

In the United States, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Carlos Alberto Torres Torres, the ex-husband of Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila, along with 20 others and 25 companies. The Treasury alleges Torres used political influence to facilitate the Sinaloa Cartel’s activities in Baja California. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has formally charged Rubén Rocha Moya, the former governor of Sinaloa, for allegedly conspiring with the ‘Los Chapitos’ faction to traffic fentanyl and other drugs. Senator Enrique Inzunza Cázarez was also named in these accusations as a purported liaison.

Separately, reports indicate that U.S. agencies are reviewing allegations regarding potential links between Andrés Manuel López Obrador Beltrán and organized crime. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has distanced herself from these claims, stating that the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) has no evidence of formal investigations in Mexico regarding these specific matters. In response to the OFAC sanctions, Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) has frozen the accounts of the sanctioned individuals and companies and announced upcoming investigations.