Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya has requested another temporary leave of absence, just days after returning to his post on Aug. 21. The move comes amid mounting pressure from his party, Morena, and the Trump administration over U.S. allegations that he conspired with the Sinaloa Cartel to intimidate rivals, secure his election, and facilitate drug trafficking. U.S. prosecutors have sought his arrest and extradition since April. Rocha Moya previously took leave in May, during which Yeraldine Bonilla Valverde, his close associate and Sinaloa’s secretary of government, served as interim governor.

President Claudia Sheinbaum, also a Morena member, has requested additional evidence from the U.S. and pledged an independent Mexican investigation. She publicly criticized his return, stating that "no personal interest can ever take precedence over the interests of the people and the nation." In his latest letter to the state legislature, Rocha Moya asked for an "indefinite" leave, writing that "Sinaloa, the nation and the movement for transformation are more important than everything else.".