Adjust your predictions: politicians are not the immediate priority for the U.S., but they will be.
As long as fentanyl continues killing more than 70,000 Americans a year, and fuel theft keeps draining public resources in Mexico, the priority will be to disrupt the network, not punish the politicia
On social media and in opinion columns, “shortlists” are circulating that seem pulled straight out of a lottery: lists of alleged Mexican politicians supposedly identified by U.S. authorities for their ties to drug trafficking. Names are published with reckless confidence, as if we were on the verge of a political purge. But even if those links exist—and many of those politicians, both high and mid-ranking, will indeed face real consequences in the U.S.—that won’t happen right away. U.S. agencies have more urgent operational priorities: dismantling the logistical networks that sustain fentanyl trafficking and fuel theft (huachicoleo).
The idea that corrupt politicians are the primary target of the DEA, the State Department, or the Treasury Department is mistaken in the short term. Not because of a lack of evidence or willpower, but because the fight against the cartels follows a strategic logic: first, dismantle the network, then go after the visible figures. The immediate priority isn’t Congress or state governments, but the invisible criminal structures that cross borders, bribe customs officials, and leak intelligence.
The Logic of War: First the Network, Then the Bosses
Rational and sustained strategies to combat organized crime follow a basic principle of warfare: first, interrupt the enemy’s logistics, then eliminate its leadership. Capturing a leader without first dismantling their support network only clears the way for the next in line. Organized crime functions like a hydra: cut off one head, and two more grow if the system that supports it remains intact.
That’s why, in the case of fentanyl, the U.S. has recently focused its efforts on disrupting the flow of chemical precursors, dismantling clandestine labs, and attacking distribution routes—both in Mexico and at the border. The same goes for fuel theft: the focus is on customs, pipelines, energy infrastructure, and logistical officials, not necessarily lawmakers or governors. The goal isn’t a flashy media moment with a political blacklist, but operational effectiveness.
The Lists Do Exist, But They’re Different
Of course, the U.S. has lists of individuals investigated for ties to drug trafficking, including politicians, businesspeople, judges, and military personnel. But these aren’t the lists circulating on social media or in opinion columns, and their immediate goal isn’t punishment—it’s to pressure the Mexican state.
A recent example is the revocation of visas for officials, legislators, or former officials. The most visible case is that of Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda, Governor of Baja California, and her husband Carlos Torres Torres, who reportedly had their U.S. visas revoked in May 2025. With no public charges or official statements, the message was clear: indirect pressure on the political environment without formally breaking bilateral cooperation.
Even more revealing is the case of José Alberto Granados Fávila, Morena-affiliated mayor of Matamoros, who was arrested while trying to cross into Brownsville on April 17, 2025. He was interrogated by the FBI and DEA, and his visa was revoked due to alleged irregularities tied to so-called “fiscal huachicol”—a type of smuggling using false invoices. This isn’t a symbolic case, but an operational link. It signals the kind of profile that’s truly under the radar.
These examples don’t mean there’s a blacklist of politicians waiting to be extradited tomorrow—but it also doesn’t mean they’re in the clear. Washington’s strategy is surgical: politicians with ties will be held accountable, but only after cutting off the criminal flows that sustain them.
Customs and Counterintelligence: The Critical Pressure Points
Two areas are top priorities for the U.S. in its fight against Mexican cartels: customs and military counterintelligence. It’s no coincidence that several of the most recent—though discreet—joint operations have focused on ports, border crossings, and logistical hubs.
Customs control is essential to intercept chemicals, weapons, money, and drugs. But many Mexican customs offices remain infiltrated by criminal networks that not only allow contraband through but also protect specific cartel routes in each region. That’s why Washington is targeting entire corruption structures, not just individual actors.
The other major concern is intelligence leaks from active or retired military officials. As long as this parallel counterintelligence system exists, any binational operation risks being compromised before execution—forcing the U.S. to act at times without prior notice to the Mexican government. This explains the growing tension between the principle of cooperation and operational distrust.
Consequences for the Political Class: They Will Come, But Later
Once the primary operational goals are achieved—cleaning up customs, military intelligence, and logistics—then a second phase of pressure will likely follow, focused on the political class. At that point, we may see more aggressive legal actions, from sealed indictments in federal courts to sanctions under the Kingpin Act, or even extradition requests.
It’s not a question of if there will be consequences, but when and in what order. Because once the network is dismantled, the politicians will be exposed, isolated, and unable to negotiate their way out.
Conclusion: Less Spectacle, More Intelligence
It’s understandable that a society wounded by impunity wants to see corrupt politicians pay for their crimes. But confusing desire with diagnosis is a strategic mistake. The real priorities of binational security aren’t set on social media, but in intelligence rooms, risk maps, and criminal flow matrices.
As long as fentanyl continues killing more than 70,000 Americans a year, and fuel theft keeps draining public resources in Mexico, the top priority will be disrupting the network—not punishing politicians. That will come later, as part of a strategy that understands cartels are not just armed groups, but criminal corporations with logistics, finances, political protection, and counterintelligence.
That’s why, before continuing to bet on speculative lists, it’s worth paying closer attention to customs, pipelines, military intelligence systems... and Washington’s well-calculated silences.