Mary Virginia Hantsch has assumed the role of Principal Officer in Matamoros as of August 8, 2025. Her previous assignment was as Consular Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. Before that, she worked as a Management Analyst in the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Hantsch's career includes serving as Consular Section Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin and as Deputy Chief for American Citizens Services at the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juárez. She also completed assignments in Washington with both the Bureau of Consular Affairs and the Bureau of Intelligence and Research.
Earlier positions held by Hantsch include Nonimmigrant Visa Chief in San Salvador, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, and consular officer at Embassy Bogotá. Before joining the Foreign Service, she worked in the private sector as an Operations Manager and International Operations Trainer.
Hantsch earned her undergraduate degrees from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, majoring in Political Science and Modern Languages and Linguistics with a focus on Spanish Language and Latin American Culture. She holds a master's degree in Intelligence and National Security Studies and a master’s certificate in Border Security from the University of Texas at El Paso.
She is accompanied in Matamoros by her spouse and their dog.