Alfonso Durazo, the governor of Sonora, and Am\u00e9rico Villarreal Anaya, the governor of Tamaulipas, have both been stripped of their U.S. visas amid criminal probes, according to people familiar with the cases.<\/p>\n
Both are members of Mexico\u2019s ruling Morena party and allies of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has criticized a recent spate of U.S. investigations into sitting Mexican leaders as electoral interference and a violation of her country\u2019s sovereignty.<\/p>\n
In April, the Justice Department revealed sweeping criminal charges <\/a>against prominent members of Sheinbaum\u2019s party, including Gov. Rub\u00e9n Rocha Moya of Sinaloa. He was accused along with nine other current and former officials of helping the Sinaloa cartel smuggle fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine into the U.S. in exchange for millions of dollars in bribes and help winning elections.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, Sheinbaum reacted to The Times\u2019 report on Durazo and Villarreal, which posted online that morning, by accusing the U.S. of meddling in Mexican internal affairs.<\/p>\n Speaking at her daily news conference, Sheinbaum said it was up to the governors to respond to the allegations against them. She also questioned the motive of the U.S. investigations.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is the intent behind revoking the visas, and, furthermore, making that information public?\u201d she asked. \u201cWhat is the underlying motive?\u201d<\/p>\n At a political rally days earlier, she struck a similar tone when questioning the indictment of Rocha Moya. <\/p>\n \u201cIs it truly a legitimate interest to combat organized crime?\u201d Sheinbaum asked. \u201cOr are we perhaps witnessing how sectors of the American far right are using our country to position themselves for their 2026 elections? Or do they intend to influence the 2027 election in our country?\u201d<\/p>\n Durazo, 71, the governor of the border state of Sonora, is one of the highest-profile leaders to date believed to be under investigation. He previously served as Mexico\u2019s security minister, helping implement former President Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador\u2019s controversial \u201chugs, not bullets<\/a>\u201d strategy, which emphasized addressing the root causes of crime over military confrontation. Sonora is a major drug trafficking transit route to the U.S.<\/p>\n People familiar with his case, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters, said Durazo\u2019s visa was canceled last year, and the U.S. is investigating him for alleged ties to organized crime.<\/p>\n Durazo, speaking to journalists on Wednesday, said his visa has not been revoked, he is not aware of an investigation into his actions and has committed no wrongdoing. He said he is so honest \u201cI practically sweat holy water.\u201d<\/p>\n Durazo blamed the report on \u201ca deliberate effort to politically undermine a progressive project,\u201d in other words, Morena\u2019s leftist agenda.<\/p>\n \u201cI hold a valid visa, I am not complicit with criminal groups, and I do not have a commitment to collaborate with any foreign country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Alfonso Durazo, right, then Mexico\u2019s secretary of public security, appears at a news conference with then President Andr\u00e9s Manuel L\u00f3pez Obrador in Mexico City in 2019. He has been a close ally of L\u00f3pez Obrador.<\/p>\n (Sashenka Gutierrez\/EPA-EFE\/REX\/Sashenka Gutierrez\/EPA-EFE\/REX)<\/p>\n According to the sources with knowledge of the investigation into Durazo, the governor travels to the U.S. regularly to receive specialized treatment for a medical condition under a parole program typically reserved for individuals who are cooperating with law enforcement. <\/p>\n The program, known as Significant Public Benefit parole, allows non-citizens to testify before a grand jury to mitigate consequences of actual or pending charges against them or others. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really meant to be used as a tool to get intelligence and obtain evidence,\u201d Vanda Brown of the Brookings Institution said of the program. Mexican journalist Luis Chaparro previously reported that Durazo had lost his visa because of a U.S. investigation and was a recipient of parole. A typical tourist visa for the U.S. lasts up to 10 years with a possibility of renewal.<\/p>\n The investigation into Villarreal, 68, is connected to the smuggling of pirated fuel, a lucrative illegal trade known in Mexico as huachicol, according to people familiar with the case. The sources said Villarreal also has Significant Public Benefit parole. When he crosses into the United States he is often escorted by U.S. officials, said one person familiar with his case.<\/p>\n In a statement, Villarreal denied any wrongdoing, calling the claims false, biased and lacking evidence. He said that, as a public servant, he has always been transparent, responsible and followed the law.<\/p>\n Tamaulipas, which borders Texas, is a hub for fuel smuggling to and from the United States. Multiple previous governors have been investigated in Mexico for connections to criminal groups, <\/p>\n The new revelations are likely to exacerbate pressure on Morena, whose founder, L\u00f3pez Obrador, rose to power on a promise to combat corruption<\/a>, which he said fueled violence. He vowed that no one involved in corruption would be spared, even \u201cbrothers-in-arms.\u201d<\/p>\n Sheinbaum, L\u00f3pez Obrador\u2019s political protege, has vowed to continue that fight, and her administration has arrested dozens of local officials accused of wrongdoing, including some affiliated with Morena.<\/p>\n Some members of her party have pushed Sheinbaum to sever ties with Rocha Moya and other leaders suspected of links to organized crime, lest Morena be tainted by the allegations. But Sheinbaum has instead closed ranks, insisting her government will not comply with the U.S. request that it extradite Rocha Moya.<\/p>\n At a rally over the weekend, Sheinbaum dismissed the U.S. investigation into Sinaloa officials as a politically motivated smear campaign against her leftist government.<\/p>\n Ronald Johnson, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, criticized her comments. \u201cThe fight against cartels should unite us, not divide us,\u201d Johnson wrote on X. \u201cEvery moment spent turning this shared security challenge into a political dispute is a missed opportunity to strengthen our partnership and protect the people we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n The escalating rhetoric comes at a critical moment for the two countries, which next month will embark on a review of their free trade agreement with Canada.<\/p>\n Over the years, U.S. prosecutors have occasionally brought corruption cases against former Mexican officials, including Genaro Garc\u00eda Luna, a former security minister who was sentenced to prison in 2024 for taking bribes from the Sinaloa cartel.<\/p>\n But targeting current elected leaders is a new \u2014 and more confrontational \u2014 approach. Members of the Trump administration insist it is necessary because the drug trade depends heavily on the officials who protect it.<\/p>\n At a meeting in May, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Sheinbaum that the Trump administration expects Mexico to send Rocha Moya to the U.S., according to sources.<\/p>\n Sheinbaum said her administration will decide the governor\u2019s fate based on its own assessment of his conduct, and warned Mullin that further U.S. indictments against elected leaders would be considered political interference in Mexico\u2019s affairs.<\/p>\n Sheinbaum may opt to prosecute Rocha Moya, which would signal to her base that she takes corruption seriously, but isn\u2019t willing to bow to U.S. pressure.<\/p>\n U.S. officials, though, have little faith that Rocha Moya or other politicians will be convicted in Mexican courts.<\/p>\n Gen. Salvador Cienfuegos, in 2016 photo, once served as Mexico\u2019s defense minister. He was arrested in Los Angeles in 2020 on drug-trafficking charges and was released to the Mexican government, which later exonerated him. <\/p>\n (Associated Press)<\/p>\n They point to former Defense Minister Salvador Cienfuegos, who was arrested on U.S. drug-trafficking charges in Los Angeles in 2020, and was released to Mexico after L\u00f3pez Obrador vowed to carry out an investigation. Less than two months later, the Mexican government exonerated Cienfuegos<\/a>. Later, L\u00f3pez Obrador awarded him a top military honor.<\/p>\n Trump has made combating Latin American drug cartels a signature foreign policy priority, taking a maximalist approach that has included declaring gangs terrorist organizations, blowing up alleged drug boats at sea, and authorizing U.S. military strikes in Ecuador and Guatemala. <\/p>\n![\"Alfonso](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1780822854_882_.jpeg\")
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