U.S. Justice Department Exposes Alleged Los Chapitos Bribery Network Connected to Sinaloa Officials
The U.S. Department of Justice has once again placed Mexico’s political establishment under intense scrutiny after unveiling details of an alleged bribery network operated by the “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Federal prosecutors in New York claim cartel operatives paid monthly bribes ranging from 30,000 to 300,000 pesos to security officials and former government authorities in exchange for protection, intelligence leaks, and assistance against rival criminal groups.
According to the indictment, several high-ranking police commanders and officials tied to the Sinaloa state government allegedly collaborated with Los Chapitos for years. Among those named is Deputy Prosecutor Dámaso Castro Zaavedra, identified in court documents as “Culiacán Regio.” U.S. prosecutors allege Castro received approximately 200,000 pesos per month to provide advance warnings about military and police operations targeting the cartel.
The indictment also names former investigative police chief Marco Antonio Almanza Áviles, Alberto Jorge Contreras Núñez, known as “Cholo,” José Antonio Dionisio Hipólito, alias “Tomado,” and former Culiacán police commander Juan Valenzuela Millán. Federal investigators claim some officials received up to 300,000 pesos monthly in exchange for operational support and intelligence cooperation with the cartel.
One of the most explosive revelations involves what prosecutors describe as a “narco-payroll” — a handwritten list allegedly detailing names, government positions, and recurring bribery payments distributed by cartel operators.
According to the court filings, cartel members routinely delivered boxes filled with cash alongside instructions specifying how much each official should receive.
The scandal has expanded beyond law enforcement circles and now threatens to engulf Sinaloa’s political leadership. U.S. investigators reportedly linked Governor Rubén Rocha Moya to alleged arrangements with Los Chapitos dating back to the 2021 election cycle.
Prosecutors claim cartel figures may have supported Morena’s political operations in exchange for influence inside state security institutions.
As Morena attempts to contain the political fallout, critics argue the case further exposes the deepening infiltration of organized crime into Mexico’s public institutions. The revelations come amid escalating violence in Sinaloa and an ongoing internal war between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel that has destabilized large areas of the state.
Previously, Gateway Hispanic reported on growing U.S. investigations involving political and criminal structures connected to the Sinaloa Cartel.
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