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The Trump administration has revoked visas from at least 50 Mexican politicians, citing alleged ties to drug cartels, according to a report from Reuters.
While previous administrations have taken similar actions, the scale under President Donald Trump is unprecedented, the report said.
Former acting Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Derek Maltz stated in a report with The Daily Wire that there is “a long history of the cartels relying on corrupt officials and politicians in Mexico to advance their criminal goals.”
“Travel to America, the greatest country in the world, is a privilege, not a right. Travel visas for individuals are not automatic and I’m glad to see that the State Department is scrutinizing them at a new level,” Maltz said.
“Nobody should be surprised that this administration is looking outside the box and will use all capabilities to make it difficult for the cartels to continue to kill Americans at record levels,” he added.
Visas can be revoked for many reasons, including violations of U.S. law, overstaying permissions, corruption, drug trafficking, acting as an agent of the Chinese Communist Party, espionage or aiding illegal immigration. The official did not confirm the specific visa revocations.
The administration has made targeting drug cartels a priority and says it has killed 27 alleged “narcoterrorists” in kinetic strikes on vessels in international waters believed to be transporting drugs. On Tuesday morning, the War Department carried out a strike off the coast of Venezuela that killed six alleged traffickers.
“Under my Standing Authorities as Commander-in-Chief, this morning, the Secretary of War, ordered a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) conducting narcotrafficking in the USSOUTHCOM area of responsibility — just off the Coast of Venezuela. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was trafficking narcotics, was associated with illicit narcoterrorist networks, and was transiting along a known DTO route,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
“The strike was conducted in International Waters, and six male narcoterrorists aboard the vessel were killed in the strike. No U.S. Forces were harmed. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!” he added.
