The State Department has begun reviewing all 53 Mexican consulates in the United States amid heightened tensions between the two neighboring countries.
The review could lead to the closure of some consular offices that Mexico has across 25 U.S. states, CBS News reported on Thursday. Of any foreign country, Mexico operates the largest consular network within the U.S., given its geographic proximity.
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A State Department spokesperson confirmed the report’s authenticity and provided a statement to the Washington Examiner.
Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, said the department “is constantly reviewing all aspects of American foreign relations to ensure they are in line with the President’s America First foreign policy agenda and advance American interests.”
The Washington Examiner also contacted the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C., for comment.
Two U.S. Embassy employees, who reportedly were CIA operatives, and two Mexican law enforcement officials died in a car crash during a drug raid in northern Mexico last month. The operation stoked anger from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who requested an explanation from the Trump administration after saying her government was unaware of the CIA’s involvement in the mission.
Sheinbaum is also seeking answers from the northern state of Chihuahua, where the car crash occurred in a remote area. She is considering sanctioning the regional government.
Further complicating U.S.-Mexico diplomatic relations, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment last week against 10 current and former Mexican officials related to drug trafficking. The governor of Sinaloa, Ruben Rocha Moya, is listed as the first defendant and is accused of aiding the Sinaloa cartel with importing narcotics into the U.S. in return for political support and bribes.
SHEINBAUM DEMANDS EVIDENCE BEFORE EXTRADITING MEXICAN OFFICIALS TO US OVER CARTEL TIES
Sheinbaum promptly demanded evidence from the U.S. before Mexico’s attorney general investigates the matter and grants the DOJ’s request to extradite the indicted officials.
The two nations have been cooperating on combating drug trafficking and other transnational organized crime while the Trump administration aggressively pursues military action against cartels. Worried about the prospect of land strikes on drug cartels in Mexico, Sheinbaum has prioritized closer coordination with the U.S. in recent months.
