The former secretary of public security for Mexico’s Sinaloa state appeared in a US court Friday, days after his arrest in Arizona on charges he and other officials took bribes to help the Sinaloa Cartel smuggle vast quantities of drugs into the US.
Gerardo Merida Sanchez, 66, was not required to enter a plea during his initial appearance in federal court in Manhattan. He was ordered jailed but could request bail at a later date. He is due back in court on June 1. A message seeking comment was left for his lawyer.
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Merida Sanchez is one of 10 current or former Sinaloa government or law enforcement officials charged by the US last month and the first to appear in court. He is charged with narcotics importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices and faces 40 years to life in prison if convicted.
Other defendants include Gov. Ruben Rocha Moya and Mayor Juan de Dios Gamez Mendivil of the Sinaloa state capital of Culiacan, both of whom said they were taking temporary leaves of absence to deal with the charges. They have yet to be apprehended.
