The Citizen Participation Committee of the National Anti-Corruption System urged Marina del Pilar, governor of Baja California, to step down from her position while the investigation against her former partner, Carlos Torres, for alleged ties to organized crime is underway.
In a press release, the Citizen Participation Committee of the State Anti-Corruption Systems and the National Anti-Corruption System, along with civil society organizations, deemed this measure prudent to guarantee public integrity, governance, and institutional trust.
“We respectfully call upon the governor of the state of Baja California to request a leave of absence and temporarily step down from her position while the investigation is clarified and the appropriate course of action is determined by the competent authorities,” reads the statement dated January 22.
The signatories emphasized Baja California’s context as a border state, where any allegation “that implies a violation of the rule of law” demands firm institutional responses.
Marina del Pilar has approximately two years remaining in her term as governor of Baja California; the next governor will be elected in June 2027.
“This request does not constitute a condemnation or an admission of guilt: it is a prudent measure to protect the public interest over any private or personal interest,” clarified Vania Pérez Morales, president of the National Anti-Corruption System.
On Wednesday, January 21, Marina del Pilar publicly acknowledged that Carlos Torres, her former partner, is under investigation by the Attorney General’s Office.
According to a report by N+, Torres allegedly received $150,000 USD monthly from Pedro Ariel Mendívil García, former Secretary of Public Security for the Mexicali City Council, in exchange for allowing the Los Rusos faction to operate in Mexicali.
In the investigation file, Luis Alfonso Torres, Marina del Pilar’s former brother-in-law, appears as the alleged leader of the network, responsible for directing the administrative operations of illicit funds through companies and the financing of political campaigns in Mexico.
The accusations against the governor’s ex-husband are not new. In May 2025, shortly after U.S. authorities revoked the visas of Marina del Pilar and Carlos Torres, the Tijuana-based weekly Zeta revealed details about the alleged investigation against the siblings for various crimes.
On the U.S. side, an official told the weekly that Carlos Torres is being investigated for alleged money laundering and conspiracy to commit other crimes. In Mexico, he appears in investigations for tax evasion, corruption, fuel theft, operations with illicit funds, and organized crime.
Source: elfinanciero
