DOJ’s Renewed Campaign Against Mexican Cartel Corruption Under the Trump Administration

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York indicted ten people—including Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha Moya, a Mexican judge and other officials—on drug-trafficking and weapons charges. Prosecutors allege the defendants worked with the Sinaloa cartel to ship massive narcotics quantities into the United States in exchange for political support and bribes.

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Since President Donald Trump took office, illegal border crossings have dropped sharply, prompting a whole-of-government approach that labels the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. The DOJ, State Department, Defense Department and other agencies now coordinate to target drug trafficking, human smuggling and corruption along the southern border.

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Key actors include Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Governor Ruben Rocha Moya, the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, President Claudia Sheinbaum, and U.S. agencies such as the CIA, which lost two operatives in the Chihuahua incident.

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A week before the interview, a New York grand jury indicted ten people, including Governor Moya. In the weeks prior, a Mexican judge and other officials were charged. Last month, two CIA agents and two Mexican officers died in a Chihuahua car crash while targeting a meth lab. Blanche discussed these actions in a recent interview.

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Blanche said the DOJ is “reenergizing” its efforts, raising the risk to cartel leaders who once felt protected from arrest, prosecution or extradition. He noted that the United States and Mexico share a common mission to stop drug flows. President Sheinbaum demanded a full investigation of the Chihuahua incident, saying Mexican authorities were not informed of U.S. activity. The CIA declined comment on the agents’ deaths.

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Sheinbaum’s call for a thorough probe reflects concern that U.S. agents operated in Mexico without prior notification, raising sovereignty issues. The resignation of Chihuahua’s attorney general after the crash signals internal scrutiny of the incident.

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Blanche said deploying federal troops to Mexico would be a presidential decision, yet he expressed uncertainty about whether such deployment will occur. The CIA’s refusal to comment leaves the scope of U.S. involvement in the Chihuahua operation unclear. Outcomes of the recent indictments, including potential convictions, have not been disclosed.

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• “We’re reenergizing our efforts,” — Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General

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• “Everyone wants to stop the flow of drugs,” — Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General

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• “moving federal troops into Mexico to fight the cartels is a reality.” — Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General

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The Mexican government will launch a full investigation of the Chihuahua incident, while the DOJ signaled that further indictments may follow as cooperation with extradited cartel members yields new leads. Ongoing joint operations between U.S. and Mexican agencies are expected to shape future enforcement actions.

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