Why query_vars get altered in WP_Query Object?

I am having problems when querying a WP_Query Object when a user has a role different than administrator

My WP_Query is this:

$query = new WP_Query( array(
        'post_type' => 'custom_post_type',
        'author' => $author_id,
        'meta_query' => array(
        'relation' => 'AND',
            array(
                'key'     => 'value_id',
                'value'   => $value_id,
                'compare' => 'LIKE',
            ),
        ),
        'order' => 'ASC'

        ));

For some reason when the query is run by a user other than the administrator, this is the result:

WP_Query Object
(
    [query] => Array
        (
            [post_type] => notification
            [author] => 70
            [meta_query] => Array
                (
                    [relation] => AND
                    [0] => Array
                        (
                            [key] => value_id
                            [value] => 86
                            [compare] => LIKE
                        )

                )

            [order] => ASC
        )

    [query_vars] => Array
        (
            [post_type] => notification
            [author] => 86 //<--- THIS SHOULD BE 70
            [meta_query] => Array
                (
                    [relation] => AND
                    [0] => Array
                        (
                            [key] => value_id
                            [value] => 86
                            [compare] => LIKE
                        )

                ) 
            [order] => ASC
...

Please notice the author in query_vars it is 86 when it should be 70. Why is this being altered?