President Donald Trump has expressed interest in capturing Mexican politicians linked to organized crime, and his administration is evaluating unprecedented measures to achieve this. U.S. State Department officials have held talks with their Mexican counterparts proposing a bilateral agreement to investigate suspicious politicians and facilitate their extradition.
If this agreement were to be formalized, government chief Claudia Sheinbaum would face a dilemma, but also a possible opportunity. There is a veiled threat of a public denunciation in Washington if progress is not observed in the proposed direction before April 2.
For the first time, such an unusual request has been raised due to the amount of information and evidence regarding the collaboration of Mexican politicians with drug cartels and their guaranteed impunity from high levels of power. Although names have not been mentioned, this situation has generated concern in Palacio Nacional.
The U.S. government has sufficient information to act against several Mexican politicians, but has been cautious to avoid conflicts with a neighbor whose stability largely depends on drug trafficking. If several politicians were to be involved, this would pave the way for a more effective government.
Various politicians have been pointed out for alleged links to organized crime, including governors like Rubén Rocha Moya and Américo Villarreal, who are facing investigations for alleged connections with cartels and fuel theft in the country. There is a possibility of including Morena coordinators on this list, such as Adán Augusto López Hernández and Ricardo Monreal, who are facing accusations of ties to drug trafficking.
Although President Sheinbaum has expressed her willingness to collaborate in joint investigations, this new initiative was not contemplated in her plans. If realized, once investigations under this bilateral agreement begin, there would be no turning back, even if they ventured into uncomfortable territory for her.
