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[INTERNATIONAL] · Mexico, United States · 2 sources

US revokes visas of Mexican governors Villarreal and Durazo amid crime probe

The United States Department of State has digitally revoked the visas of two Mexican governors – Américo Villarreal Anaya of Tamaulipas and Alfonso Durazo Montaño of Sonora – after reports linked them to organized‑crime and fuel‑smuggling investigations. Both officials displayed their physical visas on television to assert they remained valid, but U.S. sources confirmed the documents are no longer operational at border checkpoints.

The revocations were first reported by the Los Angeles Times, which cited anonymous sources alleging the governors' involvement in illicit fuel trade. Both Villarreal and Durazo publicly denied any wrongdoing, stating they have received no official notice of cancellation and rejecting the accusations as unfounded. The episode follows a recent similar invalidation of the US visa of Mexicali mayor Norma Bustamante.