Marina del Pilar accuses ex‑governor Jaime Bonilla of trap over leaked US‑agency audio recordings

Former Baja California governor Jaime Bonilla has repeatedly charged Governor Marina del Pilar with links to organized crime and called her a “narcogovernment”. The governor responded that Bonilla set a political trap, arranging for her to meet alleged U.S. intermediaries who promised assistance in regaining a U.S. visa that was revoked in 2025. Recordings of those conversations were later leaked.

New audio fragments released by journalist Héctor de Mauleón show the governor discussing a meeting authorized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, first slated for Panama as a “neutral territory” and later for Tijuana. In the calls she asks whether her lawyer can attend and expresses concern about unfamiliar U.S. legal rules.

Both Bonilla and the governor deny involvement in any illicit coordination. Bonilla says the accusations are a political strategy aimed at the 2027 gubernatorial race and at candidate Montserrat Caballero, while the governor insists the recordings were manipulated and constitute a vendetta. Mexican parties Morena and the Labor Party have defended the governor, describing the episode as a smear campaign. No U.S. agency has confirmed the meetings, and the matter remains under investigation.