US Treasury orders probe of finances of seven Mexican governors

The U.S. Department of the Treasury, through its Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), directed Mexican subsidiaries of foreign‑capital banks to investigate the personal and family accounts of seven state governors: Campeche’s Layda Sansores, Durango’s Esteban Villegas, Morelos’s Margarita González, Veracruz’s Rocío Nahle, Coahuila’s Manolo Jiménez, Oaxaca’s Salomón Jara Cruz, and Mexico City’s Clara Brugada. The order, unconfirmed by official channels in either country, follows earlier directives that placed the governors of Sinaloa and Tamaulipas under similar scrutiny. U.S. officials say the investigations are tied to anti‑money‑laundering efforts linked to Mexican drug cartels, a policy intensified after a 2025 executive order designating six Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.

Mexico’s government, led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, has resisted compliance, asserting that any action must be evaluated by the Mexican Attorney General’s Office and the federal judiciary. Sheinbaum warned that external pressure could jeopardize national sovereignty, echoing broader tensions over U.S. attempts to curb alleged cartel influence in Mexican politics.