Reynosa City Councilor Arrested in Texas Transporting 42 Kilos of Cocaine in Her Car

"Socalj" for Borderland Beat

Denisse Ahumada Martínez, who is the PAN Regidora or City Councilor for the Government of Reynosa was arrested at the Falfurrias checkpoint in Texas (about 70 miles from the Mexican border) with just over 92 pounds of cocaine hidden in the Mazda SUV she was driving, according to federal court documents in McAllen, Texas.

The drugs were discovered after an X-ray of the vehicle revealed anomalies inside the seats. “A physical search revealed bundles wrapped with duct tape and foil, consistent with the packaging of narcotics,” the complaint stated. Authorities also found cocaine in the door panels of the vehicle. Border Patrol notified the Drug Enforcement Administration, which sent special agents to interview Martinez, who confessed.

Ahumada Martínez admitted that she drove the white Mazda SUV from Mexico to the United States through the Hidalgo Port of Entry and was on her way to San Antonio. She admitted that this was not the first time she had transported drugs across the border.

 

"Approximately 42 kilograms (92 pounds) of suspected cocaine were discovered in various locations in the vehicle, including the seats and door panels. A field test was conducted on one package (of the drug) which yielded positive for the characteristics of cocaine," the criminal indictment states. At her appearance in McAllen federal court, Judge Juan F. Alanis ordered her to be detained without bail.

Political Career

Since 2021, Martínez has been the Councilor for the 19th City Council in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. She is the first woman to hold that position with the city. Denisse Ahumada would fill in for the current Mayor Carlos Peña Ortíz when he is absent. In May 2022, Ortíz had an arrest warrant issued against him for 'operations with resources of illicit origins' related to several million-dollar properties without clarifying the origin of the money with which he paid for them. He left for Texas days before the announcement but has since been back as mayor. He was also accused of acts of intimidation and harassment and was said to have multiple birth certificates in several names.

Her functions as the 19th councilor are to make municipal decisions in Reynosa, in addition to being responsible for various commissions if they are assigned to her. She regularly worked together with the municipal president, deputies, and citizens on the resolution of municipal problems. One such program was the clean-up of public parks and squares.

"In other words, we will be promoting the recovery of public spaces, but from a participatory approach, and now with the support of Mayor Carlos Peña Ortiz, we will be having a greater presence and better progress in the project," she had pointed out in 2021.

The 19th office is close to important political figures in Tamaulipas, such as the president of the PAN in the state, Luis "Cachorro" Cantú, and the former governor Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca. The councilor previously belonged to the Green Ecologist Party (PVEM) and she held the position of councilor of the 19th City Council. Supposedly, in December 2021, she decided to 'join' the ranks of the National Action Party (PAN) and support PAN in the 2022 elections.

Prior to her government work, according to the Reynosa Transparency reports, she worked for 6 years at Oñate Willy y Cía SC. The company is a Customs Broker and Denisse managed virtual importing and exporting. According to their website; "They are a Customs Agency with more than 50 years of experience, we offer different solutions for import and export operations. We have 3 own patents and an American patent. We offer service in 11 of the most important customs in the country and an inland port (Puerta México)." Prior to that position, she worked at various warehouse/machining companies in sales and purchasing. She received her Bachelor's Degree in International Relations.

PAN Denies Her Membership

Luis Cantú, state leader of the PAN, affirmed that they "disapprove of the conduct" of Denisse Ahumada and will wait for what the United States authorities determine. He added that "she was never adhered" to the ranks of the PAN party and there was only an agreement politician after her departure from the Green Ecologist Party.

Later, through a statement, the Tamaulipas PAN remarked that Denisse Ahumada Martínez "is not a member or militant of National Action." They affirm that the party always demands that people involved in criminal acts be investigated and, if necessary, receive the corresponding sanctions.

The Facebook profile, @RegidorReynosa of Denisse has recently been taken down. The page featured many photos of her at government and public events.

Sources CBP, Reynosa GOB, Reynosa GOB, Radio Formula, La Silla Rota, El Toston, Milenio, OWCIA, Facebook, Lopezdoriga