Current Mexican legislator and former Matamoros Mayor, Mario LΓ³pez, widely known as “La Borrega,” finds himself at the center of a storm of conflicting reports following his encounter with U.S. immigration authorities at the border. LΓ³pez, a federal deputy for the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM) and former two-term mayor of Matamoros, was allegedly detained around 8:00 p.m. on Friday at the Brownsville–Matamoros International Bridge. Witnesses claimed his truck remained parked on the American side while he was held and questioned by U.S. immigration officials until 5:00 a.m., with no confirmation of whether he was formally released or transferred to federal custody.
Initial accounts suggested that LΓ³pez, who shifted from the Morena Party to win a deputy’s seat in 2024 with the PVEM, was taken in by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Other sources asserted that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducted the questioning and that his U.S. visa was revoked, though media reports emphasized the revocation was not tied to organized crime allegations, despite rumors spreading on social networks.
The incident mirrors past episodes faced by Tamaulipas officials, including current Matamoros mayor Beto Granados, who underwent a similar review at the border. Yet this time, the controversy escalated as speculation grew that LΓ³pez’s prolonged questioning was linked to deeper corruption probes. Reports surfaced pointing to possible connections with municipal figures such as Alejandro VillafaΓ±ez, a current councilman, and communications director Miguel Garay, accused of mishandling more than 360 million pesos during LΓ³pez’s administration. Critics argue that the detention could expose a broader network of financial mismanagement and collusion.
LΓ³pez’s office, however, swiftly pushed back against the allegations. In an official statement, his team “categorically” denied that he had been detained by U.S. authorities, branding the reports as “fake news” intended to tarnish his public image. The legislator himself insisted that the story was false and politically motivated, stressing his commitment to transparency and the law.
The contradictory accounts have left the situation murky. While some outlets maintain that LΓ³pez was indeed held for hours by immigration authorities and had his visa canceled, his office continues to insist that the narrative is fabricated. For now, the case remains unresolved, with the only certainty being that “La Borrega” has once again become a polarizing figure, caught between official denials, media reports, and rising speculation about corruption that could reshape the political landscape of Matamoros.
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