The United States Department of State began a review of the fifty-three Mexican consulates that operate in United States territory, a measure that could lead to the closure of some diplomatic headquarters by order of the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as revealed by CBS News this Thursday.
The decision occurs amid the deterioration of the bilateral relationship due to issues of security, drug trafficking and cooperation against cartels, following the death last month of two US agents linked to the CIA during an anti-narcotics operation in northern Mexico.
According to the network, Dylan Johnson, Undersecretary of State for Global Public Affairs, stated that “The State Department constantly reviews all aspects of American foreign relations to ensure that they are consistent with the president’s ‘America First’ foreign policy agenda and advance American interests.”.
“The State Department constantly reviews all aspects of U.S. foreign relations to ensure they are aligned with the President’s USA First agenda and advance U.S. interests,” said Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary of state for global public affairs.
Mexico currently maintains the largest consular network of any country in the United States, with offices concentrated primarily in border states and cities with high populations of Mexican origin. such as California, Texas and Arizona. The consulates provide documentation, upright assistance and support to millions of compatriots residing in that country.
CBS recalled that, in recent years, consulate closures by Washington have occurred mainly in contexts of diplomatic confrontation. In 2020, the Trump administration ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston under accusations of espionage, while in 2017 it ordered the closure of Russian diplomatic facilities in San Francisco, Washington and New York.
The consulates offer documentation services, upright protection and community assistance to millions of Mexican residents in the United States.
However, the network points out that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is even considering closing some diplomatic offices. So far, the Mexican Government has not commented on this investigation, the scope of which has not been made known either.
It should be remembered that tensions intensified after the death of two US officials, later identified by CBS News as CIA collaborators.and two Mexican investigators during an operation against clandestine drug laboratories in a mountainous area of northern Mexico.
The case provoked an immediate reaction from President Claudia Sheinbaum, who questioned whether the US agents had official authorization to operate in Mexico.
“Mexico requested formal explanations from the United States government,” Sheinbaum said during a recent conference.
However, the diplomatic dispute escalated further after US authorities announced drug and arms trafficking charges against high-profile Mexican political figures.
Among the extradition requests, that of the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, stands out.
Furthermore, a few days ago, Donald Trump intensified his speech and actions against the Mexican drug cartels, issuing direct warnings to the Mexican government about the need to combat drug trafficking, threatening with land military intervention if the Mexican authorities do not act.
Keep reading:
– Trump affirms that Mexico is “lost” and needs US support after the death of CIA agents in Chihuahua.
– Sheinbaum regretted the death of CIA agents in Mexico, but the White House asks for “empathy.”
