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2w ago

U.S. Revokes Visas of Baja California Governor and Husband Without Explanation

The Trump administration's 'one-strike' policy intensifies diplomatic tensions as Mexico demands clarity on the abrupt visa cancellations.

Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda, governor of Baja California, during a groudbreaking for reconstruction of the San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024 in Tijuana, Baja California. The three lagoons would be drained and a modernized system would be put in place that would separate solids from waste water. Completion is expected Sept. 30, 2024. (Ana Ramirez / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Governor of the State of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda with the wife of the President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Beatriz Gutierrez, at the celebration of the fifth anniversary of his election as President at an event in the Zocalo in Mexico City. on July 1, 2023 in Mexico City, Mexico.

Overview

  • Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila and her husband, Carlos Torres, announced the U.S. revoked their tourist visas over the weekend without providing a reason.
  • The U.S. State Department cited confidentiality laws and declined to comment on the specific case, leaving the couple and Mexican officials in the dark.
  • Speculation has arisen about a 2019 photo of Ávila with a cartel figure, though her office denies any ties and calls the allegations baseless.
  • The visa revocations follow Secretary of State Marco Rubio's 'one-strike' policy, which enforces stricter visa rules for perceived lawbreaking by non-citizens.
  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged to seek clarification from U.S. authorities, as concerns grow over the impact on cross-border relations.