Alejandra Ang Hernández, a Morena party congresswoman in Baja California, was detained for five hours on Monday by US authorities at the Calexico border crossing (in Mexicali) for failing to declare the amount of cash she attempted to bring into the country, which exceeded the legal limit. The congresswoman, who also chairs the Oversight Committee of the Baja California Congress, has not confirmed the amount that sparked the controversy, but various media outlets indicate it is around 800,000 pesos. Some reports suggest the local legislator hid the money in the front and back of her vehicle, but US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents discovered it during an inspection.
In a statement, Hernández emphasized that it was a “mistake.” “I did not keep any cash at home that was intended for the purchase of a vehicle,” she clarified. The local congresswoman emphasized that the money is of legal origin and affirmed that her visa was not revoked because of the incident. “These are personal funds belonging to my husband and myself, derived from years of savings and the sale of a car. I am following the administrative process to clarify, document, and recover the money that belongs to us,” she stated. Hernández is married to César Castro, president of the Morena State Council in Baja California and a city councilman in Mexicali.
The news comes after the controversy generated by the cancellation of visas for Mexican politicians and officials by the U.S. government. One of the most high-profile cases has been that of the governor of Baja California, Marina del Pilar Ávila, whose visa was revoked a few months ago along with that of her now ex-husband, Carlos Torres.
