The newly leaked communications follow previous audio releases regarding the governor’s status with U.S. immigration and law enforcement authorities. Public scrutiny continues to mount over Ávila Olmeda’s actions, her diplomatic status, and the extent of any ongoing U.S. inquiries into her administration.
Former Mexicali Police Chief and State Assistant Prosecutor Pedro Ariel Mendívil García.
The newly leaked communications follow previous audio releases regarding the governor’s status with U.S. immigration and law enforcement authorities. Public scrutiny continues to mount over Ávila Olmeda’s actions, her diplomatic status, and the extent of any ongoing U.S. inquiries into her administration.
POLITICS
New leaked audio and text messages link Baja California’s governor to ex-FBI agent amid visa controversy
Leaked audio recordings and WhatsApp messages have linked Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda to a former FBI agent, raising new questions about her efforts to negotiate with U.S. officials following the alleged revocation of her U.S. visa, Azteca Baja California reported.
The revelations, reported by journalist Héctor de Mauleón, detail how Governor Ávila Olmeda allegedly sought assistance from San Diego–based former FBI agent Juan Sandoval. The report suggests Sandoval’s consulting services were valued at nearly $300,000.
Leaked WhatsApp conversations dating from December 2025 show the governor inquiring about Sandoval’s background and requesting permission to share his phone number with her advisors.
Sandoval reportedly worked in coordination with white-collar criminal defense attorney Michael Nadler, who was hired to represent the governor. Following these initial contacts, three in-person meetings were allegedly held between Ávila Olmeda’s legal team and U.S. authorities to address her standing and potential investigations.
The newly leaked communications follow previous audio releases regarding the governor’s status with U.S. immigration and law enforcement authorities. Public scrutiny continues to mount over Ávila Olmeda’s actions, her diplomatic status, and the extent of any ongoing U.S. inquiries into her administration.
COURTS
Former Mexicali Police Chief arrested in connection with disappearances of two U.S. citizens and mass graves
Former Mexicali Police Chief and State Assistant Prosecutor Pedro Ariel Mendívil García.
The former head of Mexicali’s Municipal Public Safety Department and a former police commander are under investigation for their alleged involvement in the forced disappearance and murder of two young American citizens, Mexican state prosecutors announced.
Authorities say the case may also tie into larger organized crime operations and mass graves discovered across the region, La Voz newspaper reported.
Pedro Ariel Mendívil García, who served as police chief from 2022 to 2023, and former commander Luis Alfonso Jacobo Alviso are facing charges of forced disappearance, vehicle theft, and criminal association. State officials say command-level involvement—by direct action or omission—stretches to the top of the municipal force.
The two American victims regularly traveled to Mexicali to visit family and patronize local nightlife. State prosecutors confirmed that on the night of their disappearance, the young men drove a late-model GMC Sierra pickup to “La Terraza del Shots,” a local nightclub. Evidence indicates they were tortured, killed, and disappeared. Their bodies have not been recovered.
Adding to the tragic sequence of events, a family member who was actively investigating the disappearances was threatened and later found murdered.
According to Baja California Attorney General María Elena Andrade Ramírez, seven arrest warrants were issued early Tuesday morning. State investigators, supported by the Mexican Navy, Army, and federal security forces, executed the warrant at Mendívil García’s residence in the Los Arcos neighborhood of Mexicali.
Mendívil García, who also served as Mexicali’s regional prosecutor from 2019 to 2021, denied the allegations in a pre-recorded video released before his arrest. He called the investigation a politically motivated distraction linked to recent state political feuds, claiming he voluntarily surrendered because “an innocent man does not hide.”
State prosecutors rejected claims of political bias, emphasizing that the investigation is autonomous, evidence-driven, and fully legal. Due to the involvement of organized crime, state authorities plan to hand over key elements of the case to Mexico’s federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR).
The arrests are part of a broader crackdown on law enforcement corruption in the Mexicali Valley that began in 2023. Since September 2025, 13 local police officers and commanders have been detained in connection with forced disappearances.
Investigators uncovered a recurring Modus Operandi: municipal officers responded to routine calls regarding unruly patrons or disputes at local nightclubs. Instead of processing the individuals legally, officers allegedly handed the victims over to organized crime figures, communicating via cell phone text messages and calls to coordinate handoffs and leak law enforcement operations.
Authorities are also investigating potential links between corrupt officers and clandestine mass graves discovered in the Miguel Alemán area near the Arizona border.
In July 2023, search teams discovered 22 bodies in clandestine graves in the area.
Earlier this year, an additional 44 bodies were uncovered across 22 mass graves at a nearby environmental restoration site.
Forensic estimates indicate the deaths occurred between 2019 and 2025. Out of the bodies recovered in the latest search, 22 have been identified, including 20 men—one a 17-year-old minor—and two women.
Andrade Ramírez emphasized that state authorities have built a robust criminal case and expect additional arrest warrants for active and former officers linked to high-impact crimes.
“Pandora’s box has been opened,” Andrade Ramírez said. “And we are not stopping here.”
– Staff Report,
[email protected]
Your comment has been submitted.
Reported
There was a problem reporting this.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.
Clear skies. Low 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Clear skies. Low 83F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph.
Mostly sunny skies. Very hot. High 116F. Winds light and variable.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Keep in touch with the events going on in our community.
Imported List: Today’s Headlines
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: