In a shocking turn of events, a scandal has erupted within Mexico's ruling party, threatening top figures due to allegations that the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha, may have held meetings with high-ranking leaders of the notorious Sinaloa cartel. The story, which initially began with the mysterious arrival of a wanted drug lord at an airfield near El Paso, Texas, has now raised doubts about President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's stance on dealing with drug cartels.

The scandal revolves around the murder of Héctor Cuén, a politician who allegedly lured drug lord Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada to a house where he was meant to meet with Governor Rocha. Instead, Zambada was kidnapped by another cartel member and flown to the United States, resulting in his subsequent arrest. According to Zambada's lawyer, Cuén was murdered at the same house where the abduction occurred. However, Governor Rocha has maintained that Cuén was killed in a botched robbery at a gasoline station later that day, providing security camera footage to support his claim.

Federal prosecutors have raised concerns regarding the handling of evidence by Sinaloa state officials, suggesting a possible cover-up of Cuén's murder. The post-mortem records revealed four gunshot wounds, contradicting the single gunshot heard on the security camera footage. Additionally, employees at the gas station testified that they did not hear any gunshots. As a result, the chief prosecutor of Sinaloa state resigned on Friday.

Critics argue that this incident highlights the contradiction in President López Obrador's approach to drug cartels. While he refuses to confront them directly, he has repeatedly claimed not to make any deals with them. However, the alleged ties between Governor Rocha and the Sinaloa cartel leader cast doubt on this assertion. Security analyst David Saucedo asserts that there is now certainty that the government has intermediaries who negotiate with the cartel, citing Governor Rocha as an example.

These revelations have proven embarrassing for Mexico, as not only was the government unaware of the arrest of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, but also because it exposed a deep political rivalry between Cuén and Governor Rocha. Zambada claimed that he was invited to the meeting in an attempt to mediate this ongoing dispute. The fact that Zambada agreed to attend, forsaking his elaborate security apparatus, suggests that he considered the meeting credible.

Governor Rocha vehemently denies any knowledge or attendance at the alleged meeting. As a form of political theater, he published his flight plan for a family vacation on the same day and even released a video asserting that he was not in the state at the time. However, with conflicting accounts, Zambada's version of events appears to be more credible, raising further questions about the governor's alleged involvement.

President López Obrador, acknowledging the contradictions in the case, has vowed to investigate the matter thoroughly. Federal prosecutors have taken over the case, and the president emphasized that the Attorney General's Office is committed to unraveling the discrepancies. This scandal threatens to undermine López Obrador's central argument that he does not make deals with drug cartels, potentially eroding public trust in his administration's handling of the ongoing drug crisis.

As the investigation unfolds, Mexico's ruling party finds itself embroiled in a scandal that not only raises concerns about the governor's alleged ties to a powerful drug cartel but also casts doubt on the president's claims of a non-confrontational approach. The outcome of this scandal has the potential to significantly impact Mexico's political landscape and the government's stance on combating drug cartels.