of Torres Urrea's arrest. When questioned about Torres Urrea's syndic eligibility, he stated that Torres Urrea presented a criminal background check form and came out clear at a state and municipal level. He said that it was up to federal authorities to determine if Torres Urrea was guilty of the criminal activities he was accused of. When registering as a candidate, Torres Urrea did not mention his political affiliation since the syndic position is mostly apolitical and is a citizen-driven position. He concluded the interview by stating that he did not believe that Torres Urrea's arrest damaged Sinaloa's political image. The case reached the Governor of Sinaloa, Mario López Valdez, who stated that he did not know Torres Urrea and was not aware that he was son of El JT, the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. He said it was complicated for the state government to investigate the family ties of all its residents. Sinaloa's Noroeste newspaper criticized the government for claiming to be unaware of Torres Urrea's family background since the picture that showed him with his uncle El M1 had been circulating years prior to his election. He also clarified that he was not aware that Torres Urrea was wanted by the federal government. When questioned about the mayor's possible connection with Torres Urrea, the governor stated that he would not investigate him because Torres Urrea met the legal requirements to become a syndic. He stated that the state government would consider implementing a process to research state officials' backgrounds in more detail to determine their criminal history before they run for office. Journalists also questioned López Valdez for a picture Torres Urrea took posing next to an AgustaWestland AW119 Koala state-owned helicopter used by the Sinaloa State Police. López Valdez responded by stating that as a part of their official duties, syndics often collaborate with security forces. He said that picture was likely taken in the Cosalazo, an annual off-road driving event in Sinaloa, and that it was not uncommon for civilians to take such pictures during public events. He clarified that Torres Urrea was likely participating as a local representative during the Cosalazo because the event is state-sponsored and many residents of Cosalá and elsewhere attend every year. He concluded the interview by saying that the state government did not believe that Torres Urrea used his syndic position to further his alleged criminal activities. Raid