Sinaloa State Government Seeks Pension for Ex-Police Chief Accused by US of Cartel Ties

The interim governor of Sinaloa, Yeraldine Bonilla, has sent a proposal to the state Congress requesting an early‑retirement pension for former police commander Alberto Jorge Contreras Núñez, known as “Cholo.” The plan would grant him a monthly pension of 67,477.75 pesos and would amend the 2026 state budget law to fund the payment.

Contreras Núñez, who led the General Directorate of the State Police Investigation, is wanted by U.S. authorities on charges that include conspiracy to import narcotics, possession of machine guns and explosives, and alleged protection of members of the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. He is one of ten officials indicted in a New York federal case that also targets former governor Rubén Rocha Moya for alleged drug‑trafficking and bribery schemes.

The pension request arrives despite the United States’ extradition request, raising concerns about the Mexican state’s handling of officials accused of colluding with organized crime.