San Luis Mayor Turned Back at Port of Entry, Visa Revoked

César Iván Sandoval Gámez, the mayor of San Luis Río Colorado, was detained for several hours by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the San Luis port of entry on November 14, 2025, according to reporting by Telemundo and KESQ. During the inspection CBP revoked his visa and placed him in secondary inspection, and he was ultimately sent back to Mexico. Sandoval said he had been en route to a binational environmental collaboration meeting and characterized the visa revocation as an "administrative issue," not an indication of a criminal investigation in Mexico or elsewhere. The encounter temporarily delayed his travel plans.

The San Luis crossing is a major point of contact between Sonora and southern Arizona, and events involving municipal leaders often draw attention here in Yuma County because of longstanding cooperation on environment, infrastructure and trade. Local officials and community organizations routinely work with partners across the border on river management, water quality, sanitation projects and cross border commerce that affect daily life and the regional economy. Interruptions to planned meetings can slow coordination on time sensitive matters.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection carries authority to inspect travelers and to adjudicate visa status at ports of entry. Such actions can range from routine secondary inspections to visa revocations that bar immediate entry. While the mayor described the action as administrative, the public display of enforcement at a high profile crossing underscores how immigration and border procedures can have diplomatic and practical repercussions at the municipal level.

For Yuma County residents the incident is a reminder that cross border governance is both local and international. Municipal leaders on both sides of the border rely on predictable access to attend meetings, oversee joint projects and respond to environmental concerns that do not stop at the international line. Delays and travel restrictions for public officials can disrupt project timelines, complicate funding discussions and slow responses to shared environmental challenges.

The November 14 encounter did not, according to the mayor, reflect a criminal inquiry, but it will likely renew local attention to how border enforcement intersects with binational collaboration. As cities and counties along the border continue to manage shared water resources and infrastructure, officials on both sides increasingly emphasize the need for channels that allow municipal actors to meet and coordinate efficiently. The episode at the San Luis port of entry will be watched by local leaders and stakeholders as they weigh next steps for sustaining cross border partnerships that matter to Yuma County residents.