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U.S. Investigates Mexican Governors of Sonora and Tamaulipas for Alleged Crime Links
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

U.S. Investigates Mexican Governors of Sonora and Tamaulipas for Alleged Crime Links

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The U.S. is reportedly investigating the governors of Sonora and Tamaulipas, Mexico, for alleged ties to organized crime.
  • Both governors, allies of President Claudia Sheinbaum, had their U.S. visas revoked as part of the probe.
  • This follows a similar investigation into the governor of Sinaloa, highlighting U.S. pressure on Mexico to combat drug cartels.

The United States is reportedly investigating the governors of Mexico's Sonora and Tamaulipas states, Alfonso Durazo and Américo Villarreal, respectively, for alleged links to organized crime. The revelations, published by the Los Angeles Times citing anonymous sources, come as the U.S. intensifies pressure on Mexico to crack down on drug cartels.

Both Durazo and Villarreal, prominent members of President Claudia Sheinbaum's Morena party, have reportedly had their U.S. visas revoked as part of criminal investigations. Despite this, they have continued to enter the U.S. under a cooperation program. Durazo, a close ally of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is under investigation for alleged ties to organized crime, though he reportedly travels to the U.S. for medical treatment. Villarreal is reportedly being investigated for fuel smuggling, known as 'huachicol,' and is also under a conditional release program that involves escorts by U.S. officials when crossing the border.

respect Mexico's internal affairs

— Claudia SheinbaumThe Mexican president urged the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico to respect the country's internal affairs.

These investigations add to existing tensions between the U.S. and Mexico over drug trafficking. In April, the U.S. Department of Justice filed charges against the then-governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, also of Morena, accusing him and other officials of cooperating with the Sinaloa Cartel. Former President Donald Trump has designated drug cartels as terrorist groups and pushed for U.S. forces to be allowed to attack them on Mexican soil, a proposal rejected by Sheinbaum as a violation of Mexican sovereignty.

In response to U.S. diplomatic engagement, Mexican President Sheinbaum urged the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, to "respect Mexico's internal affairs" after he called for the fight against drug trafficking to be kept separate from political discourse. Villarreal has denied any wrongdoing, calling the accusations false.

The accusations are false.

— Américo VillarrealThe governor of Tamaulipas denied any wrongdoing in response to the allegations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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