The Trump administration has revoked the visas of at least 50 politicians and government officials in Mexico as part of its aggressive campaign against drug cartels and their suspected political enablers, according to a Reuters report.
The sweeping action targets members of Mexico’s ruling Morena Party, led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, alongside dozens from other parties, two Mexican officials revealed to the news agency.
The identities remain unconfirmed publicly, but at least four officials have admitted to losing their U.S. entry privileges, including Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila, who vehemently denied any organized crime connections.
A State Department official, speaking to Fox News Digital, refrained from verifying the specifics but underscored the administration’s rationale. “Visas can be revoked for a variety of reasons that violate U.S. law and other activities that run contrary to America’s national interest,” the official stated.
“The official emphasized that visas are a privilege, not a right.” Despite the tensions, the spokesperson highlighted a positive dynamic: “The Trump administration has had a good working relationship with the Sheinbaum government and looks forward to continuing to advance its bilateral relationship in support of the ‘America First’ foreign policy agenda.”
This move amplifies President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance stance on drug trafficking—a cornerstone of his reelection platform.
Recent U.S. military strikes have targeted suspected narco-boats en route from Venezuela, while last month, Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s visa was yanked over “reckless and incendiary actions” during a New York protest against Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Petro had demanded a criminal probe into Trump and his officials following lethal Caribbean interdictions that the White House described as targeting drug-laden vessels.
The administration’s reach extends further: Over 20 Brazilian judges and 14 Costa Rican figures, including Nobel laureate and ex-President Oscar Arias, have also been barred. “The Trump administration is finding new ways to exert more pressure on Mexico,” observed Tony Wayne, U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2011 to 2015.
These revocations shows a bold evolution in Trump’s security playbook, zeroing in on political networks feeding the cartels.
In a September 30 memo to lawmakers, the White House declared a “non-international armed conflict” with smugglers, following strikes on Venezuelan-flagged boats. February’s designation of groups like Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa cartel as foreign terrorist organizations laid the groundwork for this intensified assault.
Mexico’s foreign ministry, Sheinbaum’s office, Morena Party, and Ávila’s team did not immediately respond to inquiries. As bilateral ties strain under the weight of this “new front in his ‘drug war,'” analysts warn of potential diplomatic fallout, even as Trump vows unrelenting pursuit of narco-threats reshaping the hemisphere’s underworld.