Councilman warns beer sale could amount to theft

Mexicali Mayor Marina Avila may be engaging in criminal activity if seized beer is sold through a Request for Proposal, a City Council member said.

The mayor recently announced her intent to sell beer seized from people caught crossing the border with quantities exceeding a 12-pack without proper licensing.

Funds obtained through the RFP would go to build a pet sanctuary, a project that has been criticized on grounds there are more important needs during the pandemic.

Lawyer and City Councilman Fernando Rosales told La Voz newspaper the only entity legally allowed to make such seizures is the customs agency according to Mexican law.

The Federal Tax Code says public officials who order seizures without authorization from revenue authorities could be sentenced from one to six years in prison.

Same punishment is set for those public servants who inspect merchandise at a site different from taxing facilities.

The councilman told the newspaper seizures made by the city are “totally illegal.”

“I can confirm the city of Mexicali is not the owner of the beer that has been warehoused in City Hall,” he said.

Rosales said Avila is taking the city down to a cliff and governing based on lies.