Due to her diplomatic immunity, the Mexican consul in Fresno, Adriana González Carrillo, a member of the National Action Party (PAN), was saved from going to jail when she was detained by the police for driving in advance drunk and crashing into a fence.
This was reported by journalist Dolia Estévez in an opinion article published on the Mexican portal SinEmbargoMX.
According to the investigation made by Estévez, the incident occurred on Sunday 17 January at 23: 05 hours, but it did not emerge until the Washington, DC-based journalist brought it to light after carrying out several investigations .
On the day of the accident, González Carrillo was driving a truck eta SUV Dodge Durango 2020 with diplomatic plates.
The journalist cited the Fresno police report which indicates that the consul: “He left the road. He lunged against the side fence. Babbling. The test was applied. He walked erratically. You can not drive”.
Sheltered in her diplomatic post, avoided arrest and it was Linda Carrasco, documentation consul at the Fresno Consulate who went for her to the scene of the accident.
According to the judicial file of the Superior Court of California of Fresno County cited by the Estévez investigation, the level of alcohol detected in the blood of the PAN diplomat was 0. 14, twice above the legal level of 0. 08.
González Carrillo was fined $ 1, 521, forced to take a course for alcoholics by three months now 100 hours of community service. She did not attend the hearing on two counts of drunk driving and it was her attorney Eddie Ruiz who represented her.
According to Estévez’s investigation, the judge gave him probation for three years instead of 169 jail days.
In a reply letter to the Sin Embargo journalist, the consul says that she deeply regrets what happened, takes responsibility for the events and in the coming days will end the community service that she has carried out on weekends in a shelter for the homeless .
“Without a doubt, Mexicans must drive responsibly, and abide by the laws and regulations of the corresponding authorities. Of course, I will continue the process until its conclusion, without affecting the performance of my duties. ”
Estévez reveals in his article that González and Tarsicio Navarrete, Mexican consul in Calexico, were Marcelo Ebrard’s commitments to the PAN. He appointed them as consuls in 2019.
The journalist says that “González did not have consular experience, although he did know foreign policy. He chaired the Foreign Relations commissions of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. He also directed the Senate Center for International Studies Gilberto Bosques. ”
Leader reactions
Guadalupe Gómez, leader of the Federation of Zacatecan Clubs of Southern California, said that she has met the consul through many years.
“I had to coordinate a hearing before the migration commission regarding the vote of Mexicans abroad in the 2003 when Consul Adriana González was the president of said commission; and the last time I greeted her was in Chicago. ”
He indicated that his opinion on this issue is that “all we make mistakes, and being a diplomat I assume that she will have different dimensions to any citizen ”.
However, she was confident that the Fresno Consul will fulfill her probation and community service like any other citizen. “How good that she is fine. I am sure that he will learn from this situation and correct the course. ”
Juan José Gutiérrez, leader of the Coalition for the Full Rights of Immigrants, said that like any human being, the consul is susceptible to making mistakes. But he considered that an official should behave in an exemplary manner, because when assuming responsibility, they have to do so with a high civic sense.
“Before the Sanctuary Law, which prevents collaboration between police agencies and the Migration and Customs Service (ICE), an undocumented immigrant with a drunk driving offense, would have done an expedited deportation. They do not have the benefit of diplomatic immunity like the consul. ”
Gutiérrez celebrated that the consul has not been hurt. “She could have lost her life when she crashed into a barrier.”
But on the other hand, she indicated that the incident is regrettable and embarrassing for her and the government of Mexico, because it also highlights that his appointment was a PAN quota granted by Marcelo Ebrard.
“Instead of the secretary of foreign relations worrying about improving the deficient services that are historically provided in the Mexican consulates in the United States for immigrants, the so-called heroes who during the pandemic have sent record remittances, he is busier in complying with the PAN quotas in the assignment of consuls general. How deplorable! ”
Mario Cárdenas, former leader of the Sinaloan Fraternity in California said that the consul should have been removed from office or she resigned of her own free will, because by committing a crime of driving while drinking, she lost her moral authority. “The serious thing here is that if it weren’t for the journalist’s investigation, we might never have found out. When the event occurred, she should have come forward, make it public and apologize, but the information was hidden. ”
The matter is also very delicate because the consulates are constantly warning that we should not drive drunk. “It is true that we can all make a mistake, but a mistake like that would have cost an undocumented citizen in jail and deportation. Consuls should be an example for all Mexicans who live abroad. ”
She regretted that she had confirmed the myth that Mexicans like to drive with a few more drinks.
And he criticized that due to the closeness to former President Felipe Calderón and his diplomatic immunity, it has not been sanctioned as the Rest of Americans when they drive drunk.