Report: Why Mexican politician had her visa revoked by Trump
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A Mexican politician and her husband had their United States tourist visas revoked due to an ongoing money laundering investigation linked to a drug cartel, a new report claims. The Justice Department probe into Baja California governor Marina del Pilar and her spouse, Carlos Torres, began last year but did not impact their visa status until the past weekend, according to Mexican journalist Luis Chaparro.
In addition to losing their tourist visas, the couple has also allegedly had their Bank of America and Wells Fargo accounts closed in San Diego due to 'suspicious activities,' according to Mexican news outlets Tiempo and Cadena Politica. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed the allegations during her press briefing at the National Palace in Mexico City on Tuesday and said that Governor del Pilar informed her that they did not have accounts in banking institutions outside of Mexico. 'I want to clarify because yesterday some media reported that there was an account freeze,' Sheinbaum said. 'We spoke with the governor and the governor told us that she does not have accounts abroad. That is information from the governor.'
Del Pilar's links to Mexican cartels have been questioned since 2022, when a photo emerged of her embracing alleged Sinaloa Cartel crime figure Emmanuel 'El Botas' Serrano while she was campaigning for mayor three years earlier. Del Pilar's office dismissed the past allegations, saying she's photographed with thousands of constituents and public figures while campaigning and running the major Mexican governments.
Her Instagram account has hundreds of glamorous photos and videos with world leaders, from past and current Mexican presidents like Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Claudia Sheinbaum, to international figures like California Governor Gavin Newsom , who visited the construction of a water plant in Tijuana in 2024. There is no suggestion Governor Newsom is connected to del Pilar or any investigation into her activities. DailyMail.com has contacted Bank of America and Wells Fargo for comment. Chaparro claimed that del Pilar met with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Department of Homeland Security officials at a tourism event in the resort town of Rosarito on April 28, 2024, when she was first notified of the investigation.
'Both are being investigated by the United States for money laundering in an investigation involving other Baja California businessmen and officials...' Chaparro said during his YouTube shows 'Pie de Nota'. He added that the US agents told her the investigation was looking into the 'Rusos Cartel' in Mexicali, as well as a network of individuals and businessmen from Baja California allegedly linked to members of organized crime in that region.
'She pleaded with CBP and DHS supervisors to please not make public the actions against her and her husband and to not inform the Mexican consulate to prevent them from being leaked to the media,' Chaparro said on his show the day after del Pilar revealed her visa status. 'The governor requested, as a personal favor, that her actions not be communicated to the Mexican consulate or any other Mexican authority so that the information would not spread.'
Del Pilar addressed the visa ban again in a press conference Monday without making any comments over the alleged money laundering investigation or bank account closures, while also not make any reference to her husband or his visa ban. 'I have been included in a consular measure, and therefore today I do not have a visa to enter the United States,' said del Pilar while being flanked by members of her administration. Del Pilar, who served as mayor of the border city of Mexicali from 2019 to 2021 before being elected governor in 2021, downplayed the decision made by President Donald Trump's administration to revoke her travel rights.
'But that does not define me. Because I am not defined by what I have or by the permits granted or withheld. I am defined by my values, my convictions, and the purpose I have embraced since I decided to dedicate my life to public service,' said Del Pilar. 'The fact that the United States' State Department has canceled my visa does not mean that I have done anything wrong. It is an administrative decision, not an accusation. There is no crime. There is no misconduct.' Despite Chaparro's reports that del Pilar is aware of the reason the tourists visas were cancelled, the governor claimed otherwise.
'The reason for this measure has not been communicated, and whatever the reason, I am calm and with a clear conscience that everything will be clarified. And yet, some have tried to turn this situation into a political weapon,' del Pilar said. 'I've never hurt anyone, and I never will. These are values that are pillars of my life and that were instilled in me at home from a very young age,' del Pilar added. 'So don't look for them. There's nothing to find out to damage my image or that of myself. To be honest, I'm surprised by this situation.' The U.S. State Department press office said in a statement to media Monday that 'visa records are confidential under U.S. law; therefore, we cannot comment on individual cases.'
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