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The United States government has reportedly canceled the visas of at least 50 Mexican politicians and government officials, a move described by two Mexican officials as part of the Trump administration’s intensified efforts against drug cartels and their alleged political allies.
Although some of these cases have been publicized, a Reuters investigation indicates that visa cancellations are far more widespread than previously thought. According to three former US ambassadors, such visa revocations have occurred under previous administrations, but not to the current level. They suggest that this scale reflects President Donald Trump’s readiness to deploy diplomatic measures to achieve specific policy objectives.
Tony Wayne, US ambassador to Mexico from 2011 to 2015, said, “The Trump administration is looking for new ways to put more pressure on Mexico.”
The move has sent shockwaves through Mexico’s political elite, who regularly travel to the US and require visas to do so. It also marks a significant expansion of the US anti-narcotics crackdown, with the Trump administration targeting activist politicians who are generally considered too diplomatically sensitive.
One of the sources, a senior Mexican politician, said the visas of more than 50 politicians from the ruling Morena party, as well as dozens of officials from other political parties, have been canceled. The sources requested anonymity to speak on a sensitive topic.
Reuters was unable to locate the names of the Mexican officials whose visas were revoked. So far, only four have publicly confirmed that they have lost their visas, including the governor of Baja California state, Marina del Pilar Avila, who has categorically denied any ties to organized crime.
Sources said the US does not need to provide an explanation for canceling someone’s visa and the threshold for doing so is much lower than imposing sanctions or prosecuting.
In response to a Reuters request for comment, a senior US State Department official said: “Visas, including those for foreign officials, may be revoked at any time for activities that run contrary to the US national interest”.
“The Trump administration has had a good working relationship with the Sheinbaum government and we look forward to advancing our bilateral relationship in the interests of the America First foreign policy agenda,” the official said.
The President of Mexico and the Mexican Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
The Trump administration is also revoking visas elsewhere in Latin America against perceived political and ideological enemies.
Christopher Landau, former US Ambassador to Mexico and State Department No. The 2nd official has made no secret of his penchant for denying access to the US, referring to himself on the X as “El Quitavisas”, which translates to “Visa Snatcher”.
The State Department said last month it would withdraw the visa of Colombian President Gustavo Petro after he spoke at a pro-Palestinian demonstration in New York and urged US troops to disobey Trump’s orders. Petro shot back, declaring: “I don’t care.”
In Brazil, more than 20 top judges and officials have lost their visas, while in Costa Rica, at least 14 politicians and business leaders, including former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oscar Arias, have had their visas cancelled. Arias, who was critical of Trump on social media, said he was given no reason for stepping down.
There were mass visa cancellations in Mexico, especially for members of the President. claudia sheinbaumMorena’s ruling party threatens to further complicate the country’s already uneasy relations with the United States.
Between high-level trade talks and security talks, Sheinbaum has opted to cooperate closely with the US to go after the cartels. Nevertheless, he has condemned repeated suggestions by Trump administration officials that the US could take unilateral military action in Mexico, which he has said would violate Mexico’s sovereignty.
A third source with knowledge of the visa process said the revocations are part of Trump’s security strategy, adding that the administration’s designation of some cartels as terrorist organizations means intelligence kept by the Drug Enforcement Administration is increasingly having an impact on someone’s U.S. visa status.
ProPublica first reported that U.S. authorities are expected to revoke the visas of dozens of political figures in Mexico over suspected ties to the cartels. Reuters reported in June that the Trump administration was pressuring Mexico to investigate and prosecute politicians suspected of links to organized crime.
Four Mexican sources said the US has refused to provide an explanation for revoking visas to the individuals involved, causing confusion among officials about whether they could be next as well as concerns that it could mean they are under criminal investigation. Sources said almost all those affected have avoided talking about it publicly as it is seen as a stain on their reputation.
Roberta Jacobson, who served as ambassador to Mexico from 2016 to 2018, said that when she was in government, visa cancellations for politicians usually occurred only because of a conviction or an ongoing criminal case. He said visa revocation may indicate that the US is investigating the person for criminal activities, but not necessarily.
“The chances are you won’t know if the US has potentially been investigating for years,” he said.
The State Department does not publish statistics about how often it revokes visas of foreign officials, but John Feeley, ambassador to Panama from 2015 to 2018, said he could not recall any Panamanian politician’s visa being revoked while he was ambassador.
He said a blanket repeal could be counterproductive and strain U.S.-Mexico cooperation on security. “This could be a blow, where President Sheinbaum considers cooperation with the United States to have too great a political cost.”