Leo Cervantes may have appeared in New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's first presidential campaign ad, but the Latino immigrant isn't sure he'd support Christie on election day if he were to secure the Republican nomination.

In 2013, Cervantes starred in a statewide television advertisement for Christie's re-election campaign. According to a New Jersey media group, the 45-year-old restaurant owner was featured in "85 percent of that commercial" and signed a waiver at the time which granted permission to Christie's presidential campaign to use his likeness in future ads.

Upon seeing his picture featured in the governor's first ad as a 2016 presidential candidate, Cervantes said he was "surprised."

"Obviously they wanted someone very handsome for the ad," he quipped, according to NJ.com.

Cervantes, who came to the U.S. from Mexico on a temporary work visa in 1989, says his reluctance to support the Garden State governor is tied to Christie's attitude towards illegal immigration.

"People talk about why these people are coming, but they don't go into the real problem," Cervantes told NJ.com. He says the decision to immigrate to the U.S. illegally made by millions in his home country is due to the growing presence of drug cartels that "terrorize families."

"People don't want that — they want to escape," says Cervantes. "They risk their lives rather than be terrorized by the drug cartels."

In September 2014, the former immigrant-turned-U.S. citizen accompanied Christie on a trade mission to Mexico where the two met with the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. He was first contacted by Christie's administration after Hurricane Sandy nearly destroyed one of his authentic Mexican eateries.

Cervantes says both Christie and New Jersey's lieutenant governor, Kim Guadagno, were of great help in the aftermath of Sandy. However, Christie's recent flip-flop on a pathway towards citizenship caused Cervantes to reconsider his support.

The two-term governor recently told Fox News' Megyn Kelly that a pathway towards citizenship for the millions of illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S. illegally is "an extreme way to go" despite his outspoken support for such a policy in 2010.

Samantha Smith, a Christie campaign spokeswoman, said the governor has identified immigration as a pressing issue and though he and Cervantes may disagree, the Mexican restaurateur has previously backed the governor.

"Mr. Cervantes has been a longtime supporter of the governor and respects his ability to lead the state of New Jersey," Smith said.

The ad featuring Cervantes is part of a $500,000 ad buy to air on a variety of media platforms in Boston, Manchester and other parts of New Hampshire over the next four weeks.