‘I Deny Any Relationship With Any Criminal Group’: Carlos Torres Says His Only Sanctioned Business Is a Tijuana Organic Market — as Gov. Marina del Pilar Says She Is Legally Divorced From Him
Hours after the U.S. Treasury sanctioned him as an alleged protector of the Sinaloa Cartel’s Los Mayos faction, Carlos Alberto Torres Torres, ex-husband of Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda, denied any criminal ties and said his only link to the targeted companies is a 30% stake in a Tijuana organic-food market, Excélsior and El Universal reported on Sept. 29, 2026. The governor’s administration, meanwhile, said she is “legally divorced” from Torres and ordered a review of whether any sanctioned company holds state contracts.
What Carlos Torres said
“Niego cualquier relación con grupo o actividad criminal alguna, dentro y fuera de México” (“I deny any relationship with any criminal group or activity, inside and outside Mexico”), Torres said in a written statement quoted by Excélsior. He said the only company named by Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in which he holds shares, 30%, is Vida Orgánica Tijuana, S. de R.L. de C.V. According to El Universal and Quadratín, he said it runs an organic-products market in Tijuana with average monthly sales of about 570,000 pesos.
Torres said he will start proceedings before OFAC and other authorities to clear up information he denies “absoluta y rotundamente” (absolutely and flatly). He added that he is “the most interested” in seeing the inquiries concluded. El Universal reported that he said anonymous complaints were filed against him with Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR) in 2025, but that he has never been summoned.
Treasury alleges that Torres used his political influence to protect cartel operations in Baja California and that he was allied with Juan José Ponce Félix, “El Ruso.” Those are allegations, not criminal charges.
The governor’s response
A statement from the Baja California government said Ávila Olmeda “está legalmente divorciada” from Torres and that “the only interest they share is the wellbeing of their son,” Milenio and Infobae reported. It noted that she is not among those sanctioned. It also said she has no bank accounts or real estate abroad and that her assets are declared to Mexican authorities. The state’s administrative office (Oficialía Mayor) will check whether any company on the OFAC list has contracts with the state. It will send its findings to the state Anti-Corruption and Good Government Secretariat. Milenio noted that the statement did not name any contracts or companies.
Torres has denied the accusations before. In January, SDPNoticias posted this video of him rejecting them:
Sources
- Excélsior (Joseph Na’a): “EU liga al exesposo de Marina del Pilar con ‘La Mayiza’; ‘niego nexo’, responde” (Sept. 29, 2026)
- El Universal: “Carlos Torres niega vínculos con grupos criminales tras sanciones de EU” (Sept. 29, 2026)
- Quadratín México: “Carlos Torres rechaza señalamientos de EU” (Sept. 29, 2026)
- Milenio: “Qué dijo Marina del Pilar por nuevas sanciones de EU a políticos de BC” (Sept. 29, 2026)
- Infobae (Martín Enriquez): “Bienes, divorcios y contratos: Marina del Pilar aclara su situación” (Sept. 29, 2026)
- Photos: Cuartoscuro, via MVS Noticias; U.S. Treasury/OFAC graphic via El Financiero (public domain). Video: SDPNoticias.
Reported Sept. 29, 2026, from the sources above. We did not see Torres’ statement or the state government’s statement in full, only as quoted by these outlets. U.S. sanctions are not criminal charges, and Torres has not been charged or convicted in connection with Treasury’s allegations.