United States authorities withdrew the visa from Mayor César Sandoval, of San Luis Río Colorado, bordering that country and located in Sonora, according to what the official himself reported to local media.
This is the third elected authority in Mexico to have their immigration document canceled after the cases of the governor of the state of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Ávila, in May, and the mayor of Nogales (Sonora), Juan Francisco Gim, in August.
The three politicians are members of Morena, the party of the president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, and govern border areas with the United States.
Mayor César Sandoval told reporters that he found out about the cancellation when he was trying to cross to the American city of Yuma, in Arizona, to sign a collaboration agreement.
More context:
The US revokes visas for more than 50 Mexican politicians in a new front in the war on drugs
“At the time of crossing we were put through a second check to verify my visa and (…) my visa was actually withdrawn,” said the official in a video released by the local media Grupo Formula, adding that the US authorities argued that the cancellation was due to “an administrative issue.”
Journalistic investigations in Mexico and the United States suggest that the visa restriction would be a warning from Washington regarding alleged links between Mexican officials and organized crime.
Under US law, foreign visa files are confidential documents, which is why immigration authorities decline to provide details on any matter related to them.
“There is no (criminal) investigation against me at this time or at any other time, neither in Mexico nor abroad,” Sandoval added.
In recent months, the US government has also reviewed the visas of famous Mexican musicians such as Grupo Firme, Julión Álvarez and Lorenzo de Monteclaro.
Last April, the United States canceled the visas of the members of the musical group Los Alegres del Barranco, accused of “glorifying” in their concerts the figure of drug lord Nemesio Oseguera, alias El Mencho, leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, considered a “foreign terrorist organization” by Washington.
With information from agencies.
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