Ex-Sinaloa security chief in Mexico arrested in US over alleged cartel ties

Gerardo Merida Sanchez, former public security secretary of Sinaloa, was arrested in Arizona on May 11, 2026, and transferred to New York. He is accused of conspiring with leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel to import narcotics into the United States in exchange for bribes. According to the indictment, he allegedly accepted over $100,000 in monthly bribes and protected cartel operations while targeting rival criminal groups.