Mexico’s consulate network in the United States is set to face a new U.S. scrutiny after the Trump administration moved to review the system, a step that could result in some facilities closing, according to a State Department official speaking to reporters May 8.
The official said the State Department was conducting the review of Mexico’s 53 consulates, but did not provide a reason for the action or describe what the review would involve. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity, and the move was earlier reported by CBS News.
The announcement landed against a backdrop of strained U.S.-Mexico relations, with the Trump administration pressing Mexico to act against drug trafficking while also taking a more confrontational approach toward Latin America in recent years. The report said Trump has carried out actions that include a military raid that captured Venezuela’s leader and efforts such as an oil blockade on Cuba, and that he has threatened military action on Mexican cartels.
In recent months, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has sought to maintain close ties with Trump while increasing crackdowns on cartels, which the report said contributed to a dip in homicides. But the same account said a series of scandals and diplomatic flare-ups in recent weeks have triggered political turmoil in Mexico and have added to the tension with Washington.
The report pointed to a May crisis in northern Chihuahua state in which two CIA agents died during an anti-narcotics operation with local authorities, and said it was followed by “days of contradictions” by Mexican authorities. It also said that last week the United States indicted officials in Sheinbaum’s party, including a top ally, on drug-trafficking offenses.
The U.S. pressure on Sheinbaum has included public remarks attributed to Trump, who earlier this week said, “If Mexico doesn’t act, we will.” The report said the combination of the consulate review and the wider disputes has fueled speculation about Sheinbaum’s handling of Mexican sovereignty in the face of U.S. demands.
In explaining the review, the State Department pointed to the broader logic of U.S. foreign policy oversight, with Dylan Johnson, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for public affairs, saying, “The Department of State 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.”
Officials at the State Department have in recent years closed consular facilities in other countries, including a Chinese consulate in Houston and three Russian facilities, the report said—one in San Francisco and others near Washington and New York. Consulates, Mexico’s officials and diplomats have previously argued, are a major channel for services to citizens in the United States, such as issuing identification documents and providing legal assistance and other support.
While the State Department did not say which Mexican consulates might be affected, the official’s comments suggested the review could add to the strain between the two neighbors, as Mexico’s diplomatic presence in the U.S. is described as its most extensive network abroad.