Trump's Twin Threats: US Goes After Mexican Consulates and Weaponizes Counter-Terrorism Policy

In episode 106 of Soberanía, hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth examine the latest U.S. pressure tactics against Mexico — and why they're not working.The episode opens with two coordinated threats. First, the State Department has announced a review of all 53 Mexican consulates in the U.S., echoing a conspiracy theory pushed by far-right operatives about Mexican diplomats meddling in American affairs. Second, Trump's new counterterrorism strategy centers drug cartels and left-wing domestic groups as the primary threats — with language explicitly reserving the right to act unilaterally if a country "cannot or will not" cooperate.Next, the hosts recount the spectacular failure of Isabel Díaz Ayuso's visit to Mexico. The Madrid regional leader arrived expecting to be celebrated, instead faced protests everywhere and cut her trip short. Her post-visit response, calling Mexico a dangerous narco-state, only underscored how badly she misread the country. The hosts note that four PAN governors who met with her managed to hand Morena a gift by changing the news cycle away from the Rocha indictment.Finally, despite relentless U.S. pressure, new polling shows President Sheinbaum's approval has risen to 72 percent. Most telling: in Sinaloa, 60 percent oppose U.S. military operations on Mexican soil, even amid ongoing cartel violence. The episode closes with Losers and Haters targeting PRI president Alejandro Moreno, who traveled to Washington to formally request that Morena be designated a terrorist organization.