By Kara Scannell, Michael Rios, CNN

(CNN) — A federal grand jury indicted the governor of Sinaloa and other Mexican state officials with drug trafficking and weapons charges for allegedly working with cartels to bring drugs into the United States in exchange for bribes and favors.

Ruben Rocha Moya, the governor of the Mexican state of Sinaloa since 2021, and nine current or former high-ranking Mexican officials were charged in a five-count indictment unsealed Wednesday with allegedly helping a faction of the cartel led by the Chapitos, the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera — also known as El Chapo, the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel until he was prosecuted in the US.

“These politicians and law enforcement officials have abused their authority in support of the Cartel, exposed and subjected victims to threats and violence, and sold out their offices in exchange for massive bribes,” according to the indictment.

Prosecutors in New York allege Rocha Moya met with the Chapitos prior to his election in 2021 and assured them that if elected, he would put officials friendly to their drug trafficking operations into power. Cartel members stole ballot boxes and kidnapped or intimidated opponents to drop out of the race to ensure his victory, according to the indictment.

Rocha Moya strongly denied the allegations, writing on X, “I categorically and absolutely reject the accusations made against me by the Southern District of New York Federal Prosecutor’s Office, as they lack any truth or foundation whatsoever. And this will be demonstrated, with full force, at the appropriate time.”

Moya went on to say, “To the people of Sinaloa, I say that, with the courage and dignity that characterize us, we will demonstrate the lack of foundation for this slander.”

Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said it received extradition requests from the US government but said they lack “sufficient evidence.” In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said, “However, as is standard procedure in these cases, the Attorney General’s Office will determine whether there is sufficient evidence under Mexican law and the viability of the requests for provisional arrest for extradition.”

US prosecutors allege the current and former Mexican officials aided the cartel in importing fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs from Mexico into the US; shielded the cartel leaders from investigation and prosecution; and allowed drug-related violence. In exchange, the indictment alleges, the defendants in total received millions of dollars.

Authorities allege one of the men, Juan Valenzuela Millan, a former high-level commander in the Culiacan police department, assisted in the kidnapping of a US Drug Enforcement Administration source and another victim. They were turned over to the cartel, which killed them, the indictment says. Millan, who led the department in Sinaloa’s largest city, allegedly accepted approximately $41,000 a month in bribes he distributed to others on the police force, and in exchange, he gave the Chapitos access to department resources, including patrol cars and radios.

Damaso Castro Zaavedra, the deputy attorney general for the Sinaloa state attorney general’s office, allegedly received monthly payments of approximately $11,000 from the Chapitos for protecting them from arrests and tipping them off about planned US-backed operations.

After El Chapo’s arrest, the cartel splintered into two groups — the one led by the Chapitos and the other by Ismael Zambada Garcia, known as El Mayo.

US authorities previously charged the Chapitos. Two were extradited to the US and pleaded Read more

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By Taylor Romine, Devon Sayers, CNN

(CNN) — Almost a year after 10 Louisiana inmates escaped from a New Orleans jail, the Orleans Parish sheriff and the office’s chief financial officer were indicted by a special grand jury on charges of malfeasance and other crimes in relation to the jailbreak.

Ten prisoners housed in the Orleans Justice Center made their escape last spring, maneuvering out of a small hole in a wall and making their way out into the night. All 10 escapees were eventually recaptured, and 13 people were charged with helping the escapees, both inside jail and once they were at large.

Susan Hutson, the current Orleans Sheriff, was indicted on 30 felony charges, including malfeasance in office, filing or maintaining false public records, and obstruction of justice, among other charges, the attorney general’s office said in a release Wednesday.

Bianka Brown, the chief financial officer for the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, was also indicted on 20 similar felony charges of malfeasance in office, filing or maintaining false public records, and obstruction of justice, according to the attorney general’s office.

CNN has reached out to Hutson and Brown for comment and is working to identify their attorneys.

“While Sheriff Hutson did not personally open the doors of the jail for the escapees, her refusal to comply with basic legal requirements and to take even minimal precautions in the discharge of her duties directly contributed to and enabled the escape,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a news release announcing the charges.

A $300,000 bond was set for Hutson, and a $200,000 bond was set for Brown, according to court records. Both were ordered to surrender their passports and not leave the state, court records show.

About a week after the jailbreak, Hutson announced she would no longer be seeking reelection as sheriff. She is in her last days of office and soon will be replaced by Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork.

Hutson faced tough questions from local officials last year about the jail’s persistent problems that they said stemmed from inadequate funding or poor management.

At the time, Hutson said she took “full accountability” for the “failure,” but also pointed to the alleged involvement of jail staff.

“There were procedural failures. And missed notifications. But there were also intentional wrongdoings. This was a coordinated effort aided by individuals inside our own agency who made the choice to break the law. One arrest has been made, and we are continuing to pursue everyone involved and that investigation is active and ongoing,” the sheriff said during a tense city council meeting last year.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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CNN’s Maria Aguilar Prieto contributed to this report

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By Ivana Kottasová, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN

New York (CNN) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla continued Wednesday to highlight the “enduring solidarity” between the United States and the United Kingdom, in a heartfelt handwritten message left at the 9/11 Memorial in New York.

“We honour the memory of those who tragically lost their lives on 11th September 2001,” the royals wrote on the note card attached to a bouquet of white flowers. “We stand in enduring solidarity with the American people in the face of profound loss.”

The moment was part of the King and Queen’s day-long detour from Washington, DC, up to New York to highlight the shared connections between the US and UK and spotlight some of the royals’ philanthropic interests. They also met dignitaries and celebrities in America’s most populous city.

The King and Queen were guided for part of their visit to the site by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who chairs the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

The handwritten message was part of Charles’ efforts to highlight the support and solidarity between the two allies at a time when US President Donald Trump’s relations with Europe — and the UK in particular — are under strain. Trump has been a repeated critic of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, including in public remarks Wednesday.

In a speech to the US Congress the day before, the King also mentioned the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as the first time NATO’s Article 5 was invoked, and the UK came to America’s defense.

“The commitment and expertise of the United States Armed Forces and its allies lie at the heart of NATO, pledged to each other’s defense, protecting our citizens and interests, keeping North Americans and Europeans safe from our common adversaries,” Charles said in his speech Tuesday.

The September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center killed nearly 2,800 people — 67 of whom were British.

The royal couple met several of New York’s elected officials at the Ground Zero site, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Before the event, Mamdani said he would ask Charles to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond — one of the world’s most famous and controversial gemstones — to India if he had the opportunity to speak separately with the monarch. It is unclear whether he did. CNN has reached out to Mamdani’s office to ask.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill also attended and met the King.

Chickens and Winnie-the-Pooh

The King and Queen went their separate ways for most of the afternoon, with Charles heading up to Harlem to visit an urban farm, while Camilla went to the New York Public Library.

King Charles is a longtime environmentalist and advocate for sustainability, so the visit to the Harlem Grown nonprofit was a fitting one. The community organization works to transform abandoned urban lots into sustainable farms, aiming to tackle families’ systemic health, education and well-being challenges.

The monarch even got some hands-on experience at the farm, joining several children in feeding chickens at the coop.

Across town, Camilla met several high-profile writers — and readers — at a literary event at the library.

They incl

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