The United States Government maintains open investigations into governors Alfonso Durazo, of the state of Sonora, and Américo Villarreal Anaya, of Tamaulipas, both belonging to Morena, the party of President Claudia Sheinbaum. The inquiries point to alleged links with organized crime and are added to other accusations launched from Washington against high-ranking officials of the ruling party, which the Mexican Executive interprets as part of a campaign to try to influence the 2027 elections.
According to an investigation by the newspaper "Los Angeles Times" and the journalistic organization Puente News Collaborative, which cite sources familiar with both cases, Durazo is linked to organized crime networks, while Villarreal Anaya is associated with fuel smuggling, known in Mexico as "huachicol".
According to these same sources, both governors would have had their visas to enter U.S. territory revoked, a point that the Government of Sonora has vehemently denied. "The published information is completely false" and Durazo "has not been notified of any investigation by the authorities" of that country, assured the Secretary of Communication, Paloma Terán.
In similar terms, the authorities of Tamaulipas have spoken out, defending Villarreal Anaya. "These are false accusations that seek to present charges of enormous gravity without a single piece of evidence to support them. There are no documents, files, resolutions, or verifiable evidence to accredit what has been published," they emphasized from the border state.
Pending further details on these investigations, the new accusations are added to a long list of accusations from Washington against Mexican political officials, including the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya.
The United States Department of Justice has indicted Rocha Moya and nine other officials for allegedly collaborating with the Sinaloa Cartel to introduce fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine into U.S. territory, requesting their extradition.
Rocha Moya has been provisionally removed from his post as governor while proceedings continue in Mexico. The Mexican president has refused to hand over any of those involved, alleging a lack of evidence. Along these lines, she has denounced that these actions constitute interference aimed at conditioning the electoral scenario.