Connecting flight question

[immihelp]

Hi,

I am a U.S. citizen and have a friend that lives abroad in Argentina. He has tried twice to get a tourist visa to come and see me for a week, but his visa gets denied b/c he "doesn't have strong enough ties to his country." We have no malicious plans other than him visiting me for a week and going back to Argentina, but in the eyes of the embassy your guilty until proven innocent. So it's been a very difficult and expensive process that's getting us nowhere.

Our option now is to meet somewhere he doesn't need a visa. We have decided to meet in Cancun some time at the end of September.

My issue now is i've looked up flights to Cancun from Buenos Aires and there are cheaper flights that connect in the United State via Miami or Texas that then fly to Cancun.

If we purchase one of these flights for my friend will he needs some sort of transit visa or anything special to have a connecting flight in the U.S. from Buenos Aires to Cancun?

Or would it just be better for him to find a flight that connects in Peru or Mexico City and not try and pass throught the U.S. at all. I don't want him to get held up in customs in the U.S. and go through hell, possibly getting denied or detained.

Thanks for your help.

[immihelp]

He needs transit visa if the flight is transiting through the U.S.

It is better to get a flight that does not transit in the U.S.