Former Sinaloa Security Chief Transferred to New York After Reportedly Surrendering to U.S. Authorities

Former Sinaloa Security Secretary Gerardo Mérida Sánchez has been transferred to New York after surrendering to U.S. authorities earlier this week, according to court records and reports published Friday, marking the latest development in a widening U.S. case targeting Mexican officials allegedly linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.

Mérida, 66, is among 10 Mexican officials identified by U.S. prosecutors in late April, including Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya, in a case alleging ties to the "Los Chapitos" faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. U.S. authorities accuse Mérida of conspiracy related to drug trafficking and weapons offenses.

Journalist Luis Chaparro reported that Mérida was not arrested but voluntarily surrendered to U.S. authorities. "Gerardo Mérida Sánchez, ex secretary of public security for Rubén Rocha Moya surrendered to United States authorities at the beginning of the week, sources in the United States revealed," Chaparro wrote in a social media post cited by Mexican media.

According to U.S. court documents made public in late April, prosecutors allege Mérida received more than $100,000 in monthly cash bribes from Los Chapitos between 2023 and 2024 while serving as Sinaloa's security secretary. In exchange, authorities say he warned cartel members in advance about planned law enforcement raids, allowing them to move drugs, personnel and laboratory equipment before operations took place.

The documents allege Mérida provided advance notice of at least 10 drug laboratory raids during 2023 alone, as Infobae reports.

The case has triggered political tensions in Mexico, where President Claudia Sheinbaum has repeatedly defended Rocha Moya and argued the United States must present evidence before Mexican authorities take action.

"No Mexican citizen, regardless of political affiliation or whether they are a public official, should face accusations without evidence," Sheinbaum reiterated on Thursday. She argued that requesting proof is part of defending "the Constitution" and Mexico's sovereignty.

The accusations against Rocha Moya include conspiracy to import narcotics, possession of machine guns and explosive devices, and conspiracy related to those weapons, according to the U.S. charges.

The controversy comes amid broader friction between Mexico and the United States over security cooperation. Earlier this month, reports that CIA agents participated in a clandestine drug lab operation in Chihuahua without Mexico's prior knowledge prompted diplomatic protests from Mexico's government.