11-03-2025
Las Vegas Mexican Consulate combats scams, touts dual citizenship
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Despite the free appointments at the Mexican Consulate of Las Vegas, citizens have been conned into paying their way into the consulate amid rising uncertainty.
Scammers impersonating lawyers have been selling appointments to visitors to the consulate in Downtown Las Vegas, according to Consul General Patricia Cortés Guadarrama.
'We've seen scams, and it's unfortunate that people take advantage of vulnerable people,' she said. 'People that pass as lawyers charging a lot of money for papers that have no value at all and no legal value.'
Guadarrama said she is asking for citizens to check and verify the sources for their appointments and consulate resources, pointing to their website.
'It's kind of a vicious circle, because when they sell them, then there's no appointments available,' she said. 'And then people are stressed and really need to come, and then they fall into that, and they buy them.'
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford has also jumped in to help bring awareness to the issue along with the consulate in a series of public service announcements.
'We're here to help, we're here to listen, we're here to partner up, and, yeah, to serve both the Mexican community, the Hispanic community, and also the local community,' Guadarrama said. 'I think there's a lot of things that we have done together, and we look forward to doing many more.'
Although paperwork is the consulate's specialty, staff said they are on hand to respond to concerns about immigration—a topic which has seen a renewed surge.
Adriana Villarreal, council for the consulate's protection department, said events like 'sale,' which invite attorneys to bring information to the Mexican community, are an important consulate resource.
'The good thing is that everybody speaks Spanish, and they can provide this free legal assistance to any person that comes to the consulate,' she said.
Labor, criminal, and administrative cases all pass through the consulate. Sometimes staff assist with the process for transporting a body back to Mexico and provide visas for transit.
Las Vegas is one of 53 Mexican consulate locations in the United States which offer options and even advice for citizen, including to avoid misinformation.
'What we really want and ask them is not to believe all the news that they hear,' Villarreal said. 'Because a lot is fake news.'
Citizens with questions regarding immigration, or assistance locating a family or friend, are directed to call the Center for Information and Assistance for Mexicans (CIAM) at 520-623-7874.
Consul General Guadarrama, who has been in the Las Vegas position since June 2024, said Mexicans are a dynamic part of the community. During a recent visit to Carson City she voiced support for Mexicans statewide.
'I shared the our community's concern because, of course, you know that a vast part of of our community does have voting rights,' she said. 'They are documented citizens of the US, some are not. So we have a vulnerable community but a community that contributes quite a lot to the state economy, especially in the construction and service areas.'
Guadarrama said the consulate has a great relationship with local law enforcement and elected leadership, a bond forged to help remind citizens it's okay to help when needed—like as a witness to a crime.
One more category which staff have witnessed a rise in has put a spotlight on the influence of Mexico—dual citizenship.
'Many people are reaching out to look for dual citizenship, which is interesting,' Guadarrama said. 'I think people are realizing the importance of it, so that has increased twofold.'
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