Mexican Governor's Husband Visa Revoked
The sudden revocation of U.S. tourist visas for Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Avila and her husband, former Congressman Carlos Torres Torres, has ignited a political firestorm in Mexico—and it couldn't have come at a more sensitive time. While the couple attempted to downplay the incident as routine “procedural” red tape, the backdrop of surging cartel violence and long-simmering allegations of criminal ties has turned a supposedly bureaucratic snag into a full-blown political scandal.
In a joint social media post, the couple suggested the visa issue was no cause for alarm, framing it as a technicality that would be resolved shortly. But seasoned observers know better. The U.S. government does not revoke visas lightly, and the timing here is telling. The State and Treasury Departments have been escalating enforcement actions against Mexican cartels and their enablers, and the U.S. has recently applied more scrutiny to officials suspected of corruption or cartel ties.
En estos días he sido testigo, una vez más, de lo que verdaderamente significa el amor, la entereza y la lealtad.
Mi esposo, Carlos, ha enfrentado una situación, y como en toda vida compartida, esa circunstancia también me ha alcanzado.
Poco tiempo después de la medida consular…— Marina del Pilar (@MarinadelPilar) May 11, 2025
Which is why the news immediately raised eyebrows across the Mexican political spectrum. Opposition leaders in the PAN party wasted no time seizing on the issue, accusing Del Pilar of hiding behind procedural excuses and demanding transparency. “This is serious,” their statement said bluntly—and it is. Visa revocations of sitting governors are rare, and they often signal deep U.S. intelligence concerns that go well beyond paperwork.
Del Pilar’s tenure as governor has coincided with a marked increase in cartel violence in Baja California, particularly as Sinaloa cartel factions like Los Rusos battle for regional control. Compounding the chaos, Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG)—infamous for its militarized structure and brutality—has also made significant moves into Baja.
Morena se vuela la barda: dice que la revocación de visa de la gobernadora de Baja California Marina del Pilar y su esposo es solamente "un procedimieneto administrativo". pic.twitter.com/KWiT0H4PkF
— Sandra Romandía Vega (@Sandra_Romandia) May 11, 2025
Critics have repeatedly accused the governor and her husband of having cozy ties with organized crime, pointing to the timing of her political rise and the simultaneous empowerment of certain cartel factions. Whether coincidence or consequence, the correlation is difficult to ignore.
President Claudia Sheinbaum, Del Pilar’s party ally and successor to AMLO under the MORENA banner, tried to steer clear of the firestorm. During her press conference, she admitted she had no prior knowledge of the visa revocation and said only that she’d seek clarification from the U.S. government.
PAN EXIGE A MARINA DEL PILAR INFORMAR A LA CIUDADANÍA LA RAZÓN DE LA REVOCACIÓN DE SU VISA Y LA DE SU ESPOSO.#Boletín pic.twitter.com/h4bTwW1jl6
— Acción Nacional (@AccionNacional) May 11, 2025
Sheinbaum’s cautious tone reflects a tightrope walk within MORENA, a party that famously adopted the “Hugs, Not Bullets” policy toward cartels—a philosophy long criticized as appeasement by opposition forces. Now, with the U.S. potentially signaling serious concerns about cartel infiltration into high office, the pressure on MORENA to break from past rhetoric and take a harder stance is mounting.
Meanwhile, MORENA’s own statement calling the visa revocation a "procedural matter" smacks of damage control. But given the stakes—and the optics—it’s not likely to pacify an increasingly skeptical public.