Mexico's President Defends AMLO's Son After U.S. Visa Cancellation Over Fuel Smuggling Claims
President Claudia Sheinbaum said there is no proof that Andres Manuel Lopez Beltran, son of former President AMLO, is involved in illegal fuel trafficking, and she called the U.S. visa revocation politically motivated.
The United States revoked the tourist visa of Andres Manuel Lopez Beltran, the son of ex-president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, prompting President Claudia Sheinbaum to publicly defend him. Sheinbaum told reporters that Mexican investigators have found no wrongdoing by Lopez Beltran and that the visa cancellation appears to be driven by political considerations. She referenced a recent declaration from Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office stating he is not subject to any probe concerning the illegal fuel market known as huachicol.
Despite the defense, Mexican media have reported that cooperating witnesses named Lopez Beltran in ongoing cartel-linked fuel investigations, and some of his friends have been recorded claiming close contacts with leaders of the CJNG cartel. The controversy echoes earlier criticism of Sheinbaum’s support for Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha Moya, who faces U.S. criminal charges for alleged collaboration with the Sinaloa Cartel. The episode highlights tensions between Mexico’s political elite and U.S. authorities over cross-border crime allegations.
Why it matters
The story shows how high-level Mexican officials respond to U.S. actions linking political families to organized-crime investigations.
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