The United States has intensified pressure on Mexico over alleged ties between political figures and drug trafficking networks, threatening to open additional cases against Mexican politicians and to close American consulates on Mexican soil. The escalating tension comes at a particularly sensitive moment, with both the renegotiation of the USMCA (the trilateral North American free trade agreement) and the 2026 FIFA World Cup — co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada — on the near horizon. The dual deadlines give Washington significant leverage, raising the stakes for Mexico's government as it navigates demands to crack down on organised crime.