Rubén Rocha Moya’s administration linked to CJNG‑connected fuel‑theft payments

Mexico’s state construction agency in Sinaloa (Preecasin) transferred 678,900 pesos in three payments to Ahavat Logistics Solution between 4 and 23 April 2024 while Rubén Rocha Moya was governor. Ahavat, a logistics firm created in 2017, has been identified by the U.S. Treasury’s OFAC and FinCEN as part of a network used by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) for fuel‑theft (huachicol) and money‑laundering.

A June 30 report from the U.S. Department of the Treasury alleges that CJNG channels proceeds from the illegal fuel trade to finance political campaigns in Mexico. The report led Mexican authorities – the Fiscalía General de la República, the Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana and President Claudia Sheinbaum – to convene at the Palacio Nacional to request proof and discuss possible sanctions. Opposition figures, including PRI state leader Alejandro Domínguez and former Senate president Carlos Navarrete, have called for investigations into any ties between the illicit funds and Mexican parties or candidates.

The payments to Ahavat were recorded only as “payment of invoice” with no contract or supplier registration, raising questions about the procurement process. The Treasury also sanctioned Ahavat’s majority owner José Refugio Ruiz Villagómez and related firms, linking them to other CJNG‑associated logistics companies.

These developments tie a regional government’s financial transactions to a transnational criminal organization and to alleged attempts to influence Mexican electoral politics.