The U.S. State Department has begun a review of all 53 Mexican consulates operating in the United States in a move that could lead to the closure of some diplomatic offices.
The announcement comes as Mexico-U.S. relations have become increasingly tense since an April car accident that caused the death of two CIA agents operating in the state of Chihuahua.
U.S. media, including The New York Times, reported that right-wing media outlets and influencers have accused Mexican consulates of engaging in improper activities, interpreting the review as a response to the alleged political intervention by Mexican thereby providing the Trump administration a justification for the review.
State Department official Dylan Johnson did not elaborate on the motives for the review, saying that all aspects of U.S. foreign relations are constantly reviewed “to ensure they are in line with the president’s America First foreign policy agenda and advance American interests.”
President Claudia Sheinbaum called the allegations of political interference “completely false,” saying the consulates are solely focused on the protection and care of Mexican citizens.
Mexico, the No. 1 trading partner of the U.S., maintains the largest foreign consular network in the United States, with offices concentrated in border states and cities with large Mexican American populations.
Sheinbaum denies political interference by consulates under review in US: Friday’s mañanera recapped
The consulates provide documentation and legal aid to millions of Mexican citizens living in the United States. Their involvement in providing legal assistance and support during last year’s immigration raids and a recent presidential directive mandating daily consulate visits to U.S. detention centers have ruffled some feathers north of the border.
Mexico has also been vocal in criticizing the treatment of its citizens in custodial detention and has said it will take action with regard to the 15 Mexican nationals who died in ICE custody.
Mexico responded to the April 19 car accident by characterizing the presence of the U.S. agents as unconstitutional, a response that did not sit well with the White House, according to academic Raúl Benítez Manaut.
That controversy was the trigger for everything that has followed, he says.
A week after the accident, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Southern New York announced the indictments of a Mexican governor and nine other politicians on drugs and weapons charges.
Sheinbaum declared Mexico would not extradite the governor, and Mexico’s Foreign Ministry sent a diplomatic note to Washington requesting evidence from the U.S. Justice Department.
The State Department is initiating a review of all 53 Mexican consulates operating in the United States. https://t.co/8jK4M31Ehh
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 7, 2026
Saying he was not satisfied with Mexico’s effort in the war on drugs, President Trump escalated the rhetoric on Wednesday, suggesting that he could take unilateral action.
“If they’re not going to do the job, we will,” he said.
On Thursday, Sheinbaum brushed off Trump’s veiled threat, insisting that Mexico “is acting against cartels and drug trafficking.”
Hours later, CBS News broke the story about the review of Mexican consulates.
The World Cup in June and July is likely to be a temporary buffer against further tension, Benítez told El País. However, once the soccer ball stops rolling, all bets are off.
“If there are no credible advances in the Mexican investigation, a mini-Maduro operation involving a governor from one of the northern states cannot be ruled out,” he said, referring to the U.S. capture of the Venezuelan president from the Presidential Palace in Caracas.
With reports from The New York Times, Reuters, CBS News, Proceso and Milenio
