President Claudia Sheinbaum said she was well aware of the number of United States citizens arrested in Mexico and implied that many of them were related to drugs and arms trafficking for cartels. (Presidencia)
United States citizens arrested in Mexico, Mexicans deported from the U.S. and U.S. spy planes were all discussed at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Thursday morning press conference.
The federal government’s passenger train projects were also on the agenda, including one planned railroad that will run all the way to the Mexico-United States border (see MND’s story here).
Jesús Antonio Esteva Medina, director of Mexico’s Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation Ministry, tells reporters about Mexico’s plans for building rail lines throughout the country. (Presidencia)
2,600 US citizens have been arrested in Mexico in the last 6 years
A reporter from the Animal Político news outlet noted that Animal Político published an investigation this week that found that more than 2,600 United States citizens have been arrested in Mexico for offenses related to organized crime — including the smuggling of drugs and firearms — since former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office in December 2018.
Animal Político, which reviewed official data, reported that the number of U.S. citizens arrested in Mexico during López Obrador’s six-year term in office (2,500) is 457% higher than the number of Americans detained during the government of former president Enrique Peña Nieto (2012–2018). The figure is 1,195% higher than the number of U.S. citizens detained during the government of ex-president Felipe Calderón (2006-2012).
Sheinbaum told reporters she was aware of the data on arrests of United States citizens in Mexico, and said that the U.S. government is as well because it has asked for “many” of them to be extradited to face charges in the U.S.
“In the United States, there is also organized crime, and there are U.S. citizens who come to Mexico … [to carry out] these illicit activities,” she said.
“Why do we say [there is organized crime in the U.S.]? Because if there wasn’t, who would distribute fentanyl in United States cities?” Sheinbaum said.
President Sheinbaum’s discussion about arrests of U.S. citizens in Mexico started after a reporter’s question at the Thursday press conference. (Presidencia)
“… The issue isn’t just that drugs go from Mexico to the United States,” she added.
Sheinbaum reiterated that Mexico is willing to collaborate with the U.S. government on security issues in Mexico. However, she stressed that the United States government also has to “do its work” to “avoid the trafficking of drugs in their country.”
“… In the United States, they also have to act,” she said.
Just over 2,000 deportees have stayed at reception centers in border cities
Sheinbaum said that 2,016 people deported to Mexico from the United States have stayed at the 10 reception centers that the Mexican government recently set up in northern border cities, including Tijuana, Mexicali, Ciudad Juárez, Matamoros and Reynosa.
“Those who stay there stay for very little time,” she said. “They prefer to go to their places of origin.”
Sheinbaum said that 158 people slept in one of the 10 centers on Wednesday night.
Although demand for the temporary accommodation has not yet been very high, the centers will remain open, she said.
“I’ve made that decision, … to wait [to see what happens] in the coming months, no? And always provide support to our brothers and sisters,” Sheinbaum said.
The federal government developed a plan called “México te abraza” (Mexico embraces you) to support Mexican immigrants deported from the U.S. by the Trump administration.
A man deported from the United States arrives at the El Chaparral border checkpoint in Tijuana. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum said last Friday that Mexico had received just under 11,000 deportees from the United States since Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20.
US spy plane flights ‘don’t alarm us,’ says Sheinbaum
Sheinbaum said that the spy plane missions reportedly carried out by the United States military near and south of the U.S.-Mexico border to surveil Mexican cartels “don’t alarm us.”
“… It’s not the first time that there is a flight of this kind,” she said, referring to one flight that passed near Cabo San Lucas on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula last week.
“It’s important that that is known,” Sheinbaum said, also highlighting that the flight didn’t enter Mexican airspace.
Her government will ask its U.S. counterpart about the flight, but not in a “special letter,” she said.
Rather, Sheinbaum elaborated, it will seek information as part of the “coordination work” Mexico and the United States carry out on security issues.
“It’s not the first time that a flight of this kind occurs,” she reiterated.
“The thing is that now there is more sensitiveness about [security] issues,” Sheinbaum said.
Soldiers guard a burned-out vehicle, part of a "narco blockade" in rural Sinaloa. Cartels in Mexico often create blockades with burning vehicles in order to disrupt the rule of law and demonstrate their power. (Omar Martínez Noyola/Cuartoscuro)
The Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel are among six Mexican organized crime groups set to be designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the United States government, according to U.S. officials who spoke with The New York Times.
The Times reported on Wednesday that it had spoken to five U.S. officials with knowledge of the Trump administration’s “imminent” plans to designate a number of criminal groups with roots in Latin America as terrorist organizations.
Sinaloa Cartel co-founders — from left to right, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada — are both in U.S. custody, but their criminal organization continues to be a major source of drugs trafficked into the United States.
The officials said that the Mexican groups set to be designated are:
The Sinaloa Cartel
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG
The Northeast Cartel
The Gulf Cartel
The Michoacán Family (La Familia Michoacana or La Nueva Familia Michoacana)
The United Cartels (Cárteles Unidos)
Two of the unnamed U.S. officials told the Times that a total of eight criminal groups are expected to be designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
The other two are Tren de Aragua, an organization that originated in Venezuela, and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), a gang founded by Salvadoran immigrants in the United States.
The Times reported that the U.S. State Department “has informed several congressional committees of the upcoming designations, which could be announced by the White House as early as this week.”
In 2021, Jalisco New Generation Cartel members made headlines in Mexico when their uncovered faces in Aguililla, Michoacán, made plain their sense of impunity. (File photo)
United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term directing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make recommendations on which criminal organizations should be designated as foreign terrorist organizations or specially designated global terrorists.
“People have wanted to do this for years,” Trump said at the time.
“… Mexico probably doesn’t want that, but we have to do it. … They’re killing our people. They’re killing 250,000 to 300,000 American people a year, not 100 [thousand] like has been reported,” he said referring to drug overdose deaths.
The executive order referred to Mexican cartels broadly but specifically named Tren de Aragua and Mara Salvatrucha.
It said that “it is the policy of the United States to ensure the total elimination of these organizations’ presence in the United States and their ability to threaten the territory, safety and security of the United States through their extraterritorial command-and-control structures.”
Asked whether he would consider “ordering U.S. special forces into Mexico” to “take out” cartels, Trump said it “could happen.”
What will the terrorist designations allow the US government to do?
The New York Times reported that “the designations mean the U.S. government can impose broad economic sanctions on the groups and on people or entities linked to them.”
Mexican authorities confiscate a cartel drug lab in Tijuana. (Cuartoscuro)
Who are the 6 Mexican criminal groups that could soon be classified as terrorists?
The Sinaloa Cartel and the CJNG are considered Mexico’s two most powerful criminal organizations. They and other Mexican criminal organizations are involved in a range of illicit activities including drug trafficking, people smuggling and extortion.
According to one of the officials who spoke to The New York Times, the net profits from the international operations of Mexico’s cartels could reach up to US $20 billion per year.
The cartels produce the synthetic opioid in Mexico with precursor chemicals illegally imported into the country, mainly from China.
The Sinaloa Cartel was founded by imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada — who was arrested in the United States last July — and others. The “Los Chapitos” and “Los Mayos” factions of the cartel are involved in a bloody dispute that has claimed hundreds of lives in recent months.
Former DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. (DEA/Facebook)
The Northeast Cartel is a splinter group of Los Zetas, which originated as the enforcement arm of the Gulf Cartel in the late 1990s. It is based in the northeastern border state of Tamaulipas.
Carlos Alberto Monsiváis “Bola” Treviño, reported by some news outlets as the No. 1 man in the powerful Northeast Cartel, was detained in Tamaulipas last September.
According to Insight Crime, factions of the Gulf Cartel “control significant areas of the US-Mexico border near the Gulf of Mexico.”
According to the officials who spoke to The New York Times, la Familia Michoacana and Cárteles Unidos are more akin to organized criminal organizations than cartels.
“Those groups tend to act as on-the-ground muscle for Mexico’s cartels to help them spread their territorial control,” the Times said.
“An organized crime group is considered a cartel only if it controls enough of the drug trade to allow it to determine the price of any given narcotic in places like New York or London,” the newspaper said.
Alleged Northeast Cartel leader Carlos Alberto Monsiváis “Bola” Treviño, after his arrest in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas in September. (Mexican government)
In 2022, OFAC designated the Familia Michoacana, which operates in Guerrero, Michoacán and other states, and two of its leaders in accordance with a 2021 executive order — “Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade.”
“La Nueva Familia Michoacana smuggles illicit drugs into and throughout the United States,” the Department of Treasury said at the time.
The Mexican government’s view on designating cartels as terrorist groups
“We will collaborate with and coordinate with the United States, but we will never subordinate ourselves,” she said.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has said that designating cartels as terrorists is a unilateral move that “isn’t helpful” in combatting the United States’ fentanyl crisis. (Presidencia)
Speaking about the United States’ potential designation of Mexican cartels last month, Sheinbaum declared that “unilateral decisions don’t help — what helps is collaboration.”
After Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced earlier this month that Canada would designate Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, Sheinbaum said:
“We don’t believe that the terrorist designation is helpful. There are other forms of cooperation and coordination with respect to our sovereignty that would better assist in combating the fentanyl crisis in the United States.”
According to the New York Times, “Mexican officials have been in drawn-out negotiations with the Trump administration to stave off the terror designation for the cartels and organized crime groups that operate in their country.”
Do your part to help Mexico's whales by picking responsible providers of whale tours. (Bart NS/Unsplash)
When vacationing in Mexico, visitors often search for new experiences, no less so when visiting coastal regions. Although lying on a beach soaking up the sun and drinking margaritas can appeal to some, boredom can quickly set in if you’re not engaging in activities. Whale watching, scuba diving, and fishing are most popular when it comes to water adventure.
On the Pacific coast, December through the end of March are the prime months for catching sight of one of the largest mammals in the world, which come to the region’s lagoons to birth their calves. If you’re very lucky, you may even witness a live birth on an excursion.
Mexico’s most magnificent mammals are big business in the tourism sector, but remember to book a visit through a responsible tour operator. (Explora Vallarta)
On the coast of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, where I live, the most commonly sighted whale is the humpback whale. Eager to experience the adventure, I searched for a reputable company to guide me.
There are many options for whale-watching tours in and around this coastal town, including those in Barra De Potosi, 30 minutes away. A total of 60 certified whale operators in the area belong to an organization called Whales Of Guerrero. These operators are highly trained and knowledgeable in the whale-watching tour industry. Unfortunately, many independent tours often lack the correct permits or training to join this important organization. They are usually referred to as “pirates” by those who are. I urge everyone to do their homework when choosing a whale-watching tour; if in doubt, check out the Whales of Guerrero website to obtain a list of certified guides that comply with the strict laws of conduct required when whale-watching.
Armed with this knowledge, I ultimately selected a tour with The Zihuatanejo Dive Center, located across from the pier in downtown Zihuatanejo. The centre is owned and operated by Luis Manuel Pelayo, affectionately known as Poto, a Mexican, and his wife Julieta Trzaska, originally from Poland. The couple has been hosting whale tours on their dive boat, The Red Beanie, for seven years and has garnered an excellent reputation for safety, comfort and all-out fun. They are also a part of Whales Of Guerrero. You can choose morning or afternoon tours for 1,200 pesos, roughly US $58, with an hour or two of snorkelling. I opted for the morning tour, and at 9 am, we set out from the pier on Playa Municipal in downtown Zihuatanejo.
Along for the ride was volunteer Jennifer Wilson-Salazar, owner of Kaleidoscope Tours and Canadian native who married a local three years ago in what I can only describe as romantic fate. Salazar and Poto imparted tidbits of interesting whale facts as we glided smoothly across the ocean, which I found fascinating, given that I knew next to nothing about these magnificent creatures.
Zihuatanejo has its own pods of gentle giants. (Elisa Ashe)
For instance, I learned that female whales mate with several whales simultaneously, one right after the other, but the last whale impregnates her. Interestingly, that whale is often the smallest. I also learned that whales weigh five tons at birth and can grow up to 40 tons and live from 80 to 90 years. Humpback whales travel great distances from Alaska and Canada to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo to birth their young. However, they can venture as far south as Oaxaca. “They do this for two reasons. We have warmer waters, which they love,” Wilson-Salazar told me, “and two, because their main enemy, the killer whale, does not follow them to this region, preferring colder waters.”
The waters were extremely calm on the morning we set out, which Poto told us was ideal for whale watching. As we smoothly crossed the ocean, we glimpsed luxurious villas and homes perched on rocky hillsides to the right and left of us. We passed notable beaches La Ropa and Madera, well known for their excellent swimming and extensive choice of restaurants, and Las Gatas, a seafood lover delight and popular reefs that boasts excellent snorkelling off its shores.
Our guides informed us we would be going towards Barra De Potosi, the small village south of us, which he said was the area where we would more likely catch sight of whales, although rare sightings can also occur inside Zihua Bay itself. In addition to Zihuatanejo, this area is also known for tours operated by other members of Whales of Guerero, who are highly trained and certified in the do’s and don’ts of whale watching.
Poto explained some of the specific rules they must adhere to when they go whale watching, including keeping a safe distance from the whales. Other regulations are that a maximum of four boats can be present when a whale is spotted in the vicinity while others remain in a queue a respectful distance away. Then, after 20 minutes, the boats must depart to allow others to take their turn. “We cannot surround them, and we always approach from the back, not the front. Our boats have to be in neutral gear, and we cannot speed. Most importantly, we must not separate the mother from their offspring. Lastly, we cannot snorkel with the whales, as is permitted in northern parts of Mexico.”
Captain Chava at the wheel. (Elisa Ashe)
Finally, the eagle eyes of our boat captain, Chava, spotted boats in the distance and a distinct spray in the air, and we headed in that direction. When we were in place, a safe distance from the other tour boats, Chava idled the engine while Poto lowered a waterproof microphone into the water. Immediately, the air filled with hauntingly beautiful whale songs. Enthralled, we watched the backs of a mother whale and her offspring appear several times before diving out of sight. Unfortunately, Poto said they might stay submerged for ten to 40 minutes.
After 20 minutes, we reclaimed the microphone and set off again. We did this several times over an hour, catching glimpses but never seeing whales breaching as we had hoped for. No shade to the operators, of course, as sometimes this can happen, so you must be prepared for it or choose to go out another time. I still found it thrilling to be in such close vicinity to the whales, listening to their songs from above their watery depths.
Afterwards, as part of the tour, we headed to Manzanillo Reef, around the bend from the bay of Zihuatanejo, for an hour of snorkelling. It was a delightful end to a beautiful morning, swimming in pristine clear waters among many species of tropical fish and marine life before heading home, tired but content.
The writer divides her time between Canada and Zihuatanejo.
Mexico City has amazing street food, but would you know where to find it? (The Curious Mexican)
How well do you know Mexican food? If I were to take you to a Mexico City market with hundreds of vendors, would you know exactly where to go? I wouldn’t have much problems since I’ve been to Mexico several times and would just pick something I know and love. Nobody can go wrong with a good taco. But am I able to see the market in the same way as a local guide? Since I live in Canada, I can’t say that’s possible.
I’ve watched various culinary shows set in Mexico, but the more I’ve learned about the different food stalls, restaurants, and chefs in Mexico City, the more I recognized how little I understood. That’s always humbling since I tend to be the “local expert” amongst my friend group back home or in a hostel environment where I’m meeting Europeans, Canadians, and Americans on vacation who don’t have my experience in Mexico.
Mexico’s street food scene may just be the best in the world, but you might want a little help in navigating it. (Alejandro Linares Garcia)
Have I been to great taquerias and places to eat in Mexico? Yes. I’ve even written about the different gems I’ve found in parts of Mexico I’ve frequented over the years. But to say a well-known Mexican food blogger can teach me a thing or two is fair.
So to learn more, I decided to go on a Mexico City food tour hosted by The Curious Mexican. If you’re going to be there soon, you may want to keep reading.
What’s it like to be on a food tour?
I picked The Curious Mexican’s Good Morning CDMX tour since I love breakfast food and figured that I couldn’t go wrong. Chilaquiles sounded great to me, for example.
Good Morning CDMX Food Tour with The Curious Mexican
When I met The Curious Mexican, Anais Martínez, I was greeted with a concha from hip Roma Norte establishment Cafe Forte. It was the perfect way to meet someone new – over a delicious treat. But I already knew what a concha was, and I wondered how the rest of the day would go.
Soon, Martinez introduced me to her version of Mexico City’s culinary scene. It was incredible to see the city I love through the eyes of a local expert whose main job is to know all the best food spots. It felt like I was tagging along with someone Anthony Bourdain would’ve sought out before going to film in Mexico.
Walking and talking as if we were doing this for the plot of a culinary show, Martinez brought me to places I wasn’t aware of beforehand. I didn’t know what to expect from some of these restaurants. Would I enjoy them or start missing my go-to favorites? But if there’s one thing I learned from being with a professional foodie, you need to be open-minded. I allowed myself to be wowed — pushing my ego (and biases) to the side.
At Dońa Emi Tamales, which has been around since 1957, my first fun fact was that there are 600 kinds of tamales.
He may have tried to eat all of them, we can’t be sure. (Doña Emi Tamales/Facebook)
I tried the tamales with beans and corn, green salsa and chicken, chapuline, and even a carrot-flavored one that almost tasted like a carrot cake.
Each tamale was unique in both texture and overall taste. If I were to go alone, I would’ve gone with the options on the menu that were familiar to me, but The Curious Mexican didn’t let me do that. In other words, having a food guide was like having a spiritual guide. My pallet is forever thankful.
Food stalls you’d miss even if you looked for them
Going around Mexico City and sampling food stalls is my favorite pastime. I’ve been exploring them for years, and there’s no shortage of what you can discover in the largest city in North America.
Last December, I found a little hole-in-the-wall “kekas” stand in the historic center that made the best quesadillas. I’ve also found vendors who made great tacos and churros. But sometimes it’s tricky to divine which stalls are good and which ones slightly miss the mark. In my experience, that’s the daunting side of being spoiled for choice.
I learned that the best local vendors aren’t in popular spots in Mexico City’s downtown. Usually, they’re in quieter residential areas. It showed me understanding how to identify local demand is a valuable skill to have if you’re a foodie in a major hub like Mexico City.
We eventually came to a food stall that made the tastiest chilaquiles tortas. You could tell it was more for locals since there wasn’t a huge lineup of tourists. It was spicy, yet had enough flavors to balance everything out so that my tongue wasn’t on fire.
Hidden gems like this sope await those brave enough to trust their palates to the experts. (Ian Ostroff)
Later, I was brought to another food stall just outside of Mercado de Jamaica where I tried a cactus dish served on a blue, oval-shaped tortilla. Though the flavor was a little too earthy for my personal taste, the texture of the cactus added a new dimension that was both new and interesting.
The second fun fact of the day was learning there are way more beloved Mexican meals with cacti than I realized. I preferred the tortas and tamales. But I didn’t have the luxury of ordering something I thought I’d like and missing out on a unique alternative. That made me realize being a foodie is not just about eating delicious meals, but about the experience of finding great food and sharing it with those around you. The act of discovering things you never thought you’d try is sometimes more fun than the actual dining itself. And by giving everything a fair chance, I discovered what I truly liked and didn’t enjoy as much.
Navigating a Mexico City market with an expert
Where do you even begin in a place like this? (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Going to Mexico City’s Mercado de Jamaica with a local expert was like having the cheat code for a video game. There were so many restaurants, vendors, and lanes at the market that could easily get you lost for hours.
If I were to walk into Mercado de Jamaica alone, I would’ve probably chosen a food stall at random. But with The Curious Mexican, we went from place to place with ease. We’d head for the best taquerias and she’d order from the menu like she’s been there millions of times. Learning there was such a thing as green chorizo was the third fun fact I collected for the day, and having it in a taco was a fantastic introduction.
I was also pleasantly surprised to learn about various fruits I can’t find in Canada. Mamey, chirimoya, guanabana, and maracuya were all things I tried for the first time. If I didn’t have a food spirit guide, I wouldn’t have gotten to sample those amazing gems. In retrospect, I might’ve overlooked what was right in front of me that day.
Would you go on a foodie adventure?
The Curious Mexican concluded our food tour at a popular churros place called El Moro. You can’t end hours of eating countless meals without a good dessert, right?
I walked around Mexico City since then feeling like I understood it in a way I hadn’t before. Was I now a local resident? Not officially. But I feel like now I can order at a restaurant with more confidence and talk to vendors and artisans on a deeper level.
Ian Ostroff is an indie author, journalist, and copywriter from Montreal, Canada. You can find his work in various outlets, including Map Happy and The Suburban. When he’s not writing, you can find Ian at the gym, a café, or anywhere within Mexico visiting family and friends.
The adult lion was spotted roaming the streets of San Pedro Cholula, México state, around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning. (X)
An adult lion roaming the streets of a town about an hour’s drive from central Mexico City prompted concern among residents Wednesday morning, but fears subsided after the animal was safely recaptured.
The incident occurred in San Pedro Cholula, a locality in México state about 18 kilometers west of Toluca and 52 kilometers southeast of Mexico City. It’s in the municipality of Ocoyoacac, which has a population of 60,000.
León suelto por calles de San Pedro Cholula en Ocoyoacac
Footage of the roaming lion uploaded by social media users made it into Mexican news reports.
After escaping from a local facility known as the RECICA wild animal shelter, the large feline was seen around 7 a.m. on Lerma Street, one of the town’s main arteries.
Videos and images shared on social media showed the lion walking through public areas. But when officials from local security and civil protection agencies arrived for a search operation, they could not locate the animal at first.
Eventually, they confirmed that the lion was secured safely and without incident by someone from RECICA and returned to the facility.
Sometimes written as ReCiCa, the foundation’s acronym stands for Rescate de Circo y Cautiverio, or Rescue from Circus and Captivity in English. A 2015 federal law that prohibits the use of wild animals in circuses across Mexico resulted in such animals being confiscated by federal authorities from circuses and similar shows. Many ended up in facilities like that of RECICA, which appears to have existed since at least 2016, when its Facebook page was created.
The RECICA shelter, located in the community of San Pedro Cholula, Ocoyoacac, houses various wild felines — including lions, tigers, panthers and leopards. According to a 2022 feature by the news media outlet Excelsior, it at one time had about 80 wild animals living on the property many of whom had been rescued from circuses and other similar shows, although it included in that number animals such as coatis and raccoons.
In November, a pair of inspections at a San Pedro Cholula, Ocoyoacac, facility operating under the name “RESICA” resulted in the arrest of four dozen individuals. The federal environmental agency Profepa conducted the raid after the officials from the state of México’s Attorney General’s Office (FGJEM) were met with armed resistance during an earlier attempted inspection.
Reserva en Ocoyoacac ayuda acoge a animales rescatados de circos
A 2022 Excelsior news feature on the RECICA shelter in Ocoyoacac said at the time that the shelter for rescued wildlife had about 80 animals on the premises. However, a 2024 raid found less than 40 animals on the property.
Authorities reportedly found on the premises more than 30 exotic animals, including eight lion cubs, 17 African lions, two jaguars, six Bengal tigers and an American bison.
At the time, Profepa said the animals were found in good health and well-fed, and “that the place allegedly has authorization as an animal sanctuary and refuge.”
However, the agency added, “the person in charge did not show proof that it is registered to operate as a Wildlife Management Facility or Property (PIMVS) and did not present the document with the corresponding management program.”
The newspaper El Financiero reported that a criminal complaint was initiated against the property owner, allegedly the leader of a criminal organization “linked to the Sinaloa Cartel.” The paper identified him as Francisco Torres Palacios, allegedly nicknamed “El Tigre.”
These incidents and others highlight ongoing concerns about wildlife trafficking and illegal animal trade in Mexico.
This isn’t the first time a lion has wandered the streets in México state. In late 2023, a lion cub was on the loose in Xonacatlán, about 20 kilometers from San Pedro Cholula.
Customs delays of up to six hours have been reported in Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez and Reynosa this week. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)
Scheduled maintenance of a digital platform for international trade at several border crossings in northern Mexico is causing delays and other headaches for importers, exporters, and customs brokers shipping goods into the United States.
In late January, the Mexican Tax Administration Service (SAT) announced a one-week scheduled maintenance outage for the Mexican Digital Window for Foreign Trade (Ventanilla Única de Comercio Exterior Mexicana, or VUCEM) platform from Feb. 8 through Feb. 15.
With the platform down, a contingency plan was put in place by SAT, with shippers required to send all related documents and invoices to their brokers to ensure timeliness of clearance.
Unfortunately, the process has not gone smoothly.
Mexican Customs agents are struggling to generate the necessary paperwork as they must manually handle all customs documents, producing long lines for trucks and intermodal shipments, including trains.
The resulting delays of up to six hours have caused chaos at the Tijuana border crossing, according to the Animal Político website. The situation at the Reynosa and Ciudad Juárez border crossings is not much better, with hundreds of vehicles waiting to be cleared through customs.
With the digital trade portal undergoing maintenance, customs agents are struggling to efficiently process importers and exporters. (File photo)
Produce Bluebook, a service provided by Blue Book Services that helps businesses manage financial risk within the produce supply chain, said there were reports of eight-hour waits at South Texas points of entry.
It also warned that produce shipments could be delayed at other major points of entry including Nogales, Arizona, and McAllen, Texas.
The platform allows users to electronically submit all necessary documents and information for import and export operations through a single interface.
2025 will be the 53rd edition of what some consider the premier cultural festival in Latin America. (International Cervantino Festival/Facebook)
The United Kingdom and the state of Veracruz will be this year’s guests of honor at the International Cervantino Festival, the 53rd edition of the premier cultural festival in Latin America.
This festival, held annually in Guanajuato city, will take place this year Oct. 10–Oct. 26.
Last year, Oaxaca was one of the guests of honor, and the festival presented both traditional and modern performances related to the Mexican state. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s Culture Minister Claudia Curiel de Icaza was joined by Britain’s Ambassador to Mexico Susannah Goshko, Guanajuato Governor Libia García and Guanajuato city Mayor Samantha Smith, among others, during Wednesday’s announcement at Mexico City’s Chapultepec Park.
Also attending was festival Executive Director Romain Greco, and the event’s Planning Committee was also introduced at the presentation ceremony.
“The goal is to work collectively so as to contribute a variety of visions that range from the traditional to the contemporary and from the classic to the urbane,” Curiel said, adding that another objective is to attract a broader audience.
“We are very interested in working to engage with youth,” she said.
Additionally, Curiel said that diversity will be a priority. Emphasis will be placed on the concept of decolonization at this year’s festival.
“[We aim to] furnish a diversity of viewpoints, [highlighting] minorities … the indigenous and Afro-Mexicans,” she said.
The annual festival attracts artists from film, dance, music and more. Last year, the Brazilian singer/songwriter Lenine closed the festival at a stage created at the city’s historic Alhóndiga de Granaditas building. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)
Goshko said the United Kingdom was honored by the designation, describing the Cervantino Festival as “the natural space to demonstrate that culture can be an economic engine.”
“Nearly 200 years since we established diplomatic relations, the opportunity to be a country of honor offers the chance to further deepen the cultural and artistic ties that bind us and to build new avenues of cooperation in innovative spheres such as the creative industries,” she said.
The affair takes place in the streets and alleys of Guanajuato, as well as at indoor and outdoor stages. Visitors can enjoy shows, conferences and presentations at 40 separate venues, including the city’s iconic Teatro Juárez, the esplanade of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas (the historic 220-year-old grain storage building) and in the plazas of the old silver mining city, in the shadow of its historic colonial architecture.
Aeroméxico plans to add multiple new routes this year, connecting Mexico City to Phoenix, Cartagena, Panama City, and the Dominican Republic, among other destinations. (María Ruiz)
On the same day it accepted an award as the world’s most punctual airline, Aeroméxico announced that it would be offering seven new routes by the end of the year.
This week’s award ceremony and its expansion plans culminate a remarkable turnaround less than three years after the airline emerged from bankruptcy.
Aeroméxico filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2020 after the pandemic sent demand plummeting, returning from insolvency in March 2022 with a US $5 billion investment plan that featured fleet modernization and other upgrades.
In January, the airline announced two new routes (Mexico City-Philadelphia and San Luis Potosí-Atlanta) will begin operations in June, and at the Feb. 11 award ceremony airline officials said five additional international routes will be added by the end of the year.
One of the new flights connects Mexico City International Airport (AICM) with Phoenix, Arizona. (Kyle Kempt/Unsplash)
The new destinations, all connecting from the Mexico City International Airport, are Phoenix, Cartagena and Cali (Colombia), Panama City, and Punta Cana (Dominican Republic).
To cover these new routes, Aeroméxico will add 14 new planes, bringing its total fleet to 164 by the end of 2025.
Aeroméxico also announced that it will be renovating its two Salones Premier passenger lounges at the Mexico City International Airport. Additionally, Mexico’s flagship airline will be standardizing its on-board seats and providing Wi-Fi throughout the plane, while also updating its app (which will feature access to its loyalty program) and offering free messenger service in the first-class section of the cabin.
Aeroméxico made the announcements at a ceremony where it was honored as 2024’s most on-time airline. The award was sponsored by aviation analytics company Cirium.
Of almost 197,000 Aeroméxico flights in 2024, 86.7% arrived on time and the airline fulfilled 99.32% of planned operations.
Aeroméxico CEO Andrés Conesa accepted the award on behalf of the entire Aeroméxico workforce, while also lauding the contribution of airport authorities.
“I am proud to share that [this award] comes as a result of the enormous effort we have made to improve our processes, modernize our fleet, incorporate the newest technology and strengthen coordination with authorities, airports and service providers,” he said. “But, above all, they reflect the most valuable asset that represents us: the great talent of the Aeroméxico family. We will continue to strive every day to provide the best service to our customers and make each trip an extraordinary experience.”
Aeroméxico CEO Andrés Conesa, center left, accepted the award on behalf of his company. (Cirium)
Aeromexico won with an on-time percentage (OTP) of 86.7%, a mere 0.35% higher than the second-place airline, Saudia.
Upon presenting the award, Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen praised Aeroméxico for its dramatic OTP improvements over the past four years. In Cirium’s award analysis, an on-time flight is defined as a flight that arrives within 15 minutes of the scheduled gate arrival.
“In 2021, your OTP was 70.15%, but In 2022, OTP was up 4.7% to 74.86%,” he said. “Then in 2023, OTP was up 2.6% to 77.48%, and in 2024, up an incredible 9% to 86.7%.”
This is the first time a Mexican airline received Cirium’s Most On-Time Global Airline Award.
Traveler seeking to get to Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) from Mexico City (and vice versa) will soon have more transportation options. (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)
The train line from Mexico City to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA) in México state will open in July, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday.
Speaking at her morning press conference, Sheinbaum acknowledged that the project has been under construction for “a good while.”
The route to AIFA airport will be an extension of existing the Suburban Train route between Cuautlán and Buenavista. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
The railroad — which will connect the Buenavista suburban train station in central Mexico City to AIFA — is now “very advanced” and will soon be finished by military engineers, the president said.
“It will arrive to AIFA in July,” Sheinbaum said, adding that the laying of additional tracks from AIFA to Pachuca, the capital of Hidalgo state, will commence in March.
The rail line to the airport uses the tracks of the existing train route between Buenavista and Cuautitlán, México state, until the Lechería station. The new section, construction of which began in 2022, runs 23 kilometers from Lechería to AIFA and includes seven new stations including that at the airport terminal.
The new transportation option will simplify access to AIFA airport, where passenger numbers remain far below those of Mexico City International Airport (AICM). (Gobierno de CDMX)
Travel between Buenavista — located about three kilometers northwest of the historic center of Mexico City — and AIFA will take around 40 minutes by train, significantly less than the time it takes to get to the airport by car.
Passengers can reach the Buenavista suburban train station via the Mexico City Metro and Metrobús systems.
The opening of the new rail line should make AIFA a more attractive transport option for Mexico City residents, millions of whom live closer to the Benito Juárez International Airport (AICM) than the newer facility in México state.
Andrés Lajous Loaeza, head of Mexico’s Rail Transport Regulatory Agency, told Sheinbaum’s press conference that the federal government plans to build more than 3,000 kilometers of passenger train tracks during its six years in office.
Construction of four projects is set to begin this year.
Construction of the AIFA-Pachuca line is scheduled to commence in March.
Construction of the Mexico City-Querétaro line is slated to begin in April. It will have intermediate stations in Tula, Hidalgo, and San Juan del Río, Querétaro.
Construction of the Querétaro-Irapuato line is due to start in July. It will have intermediate stations in the Guanajuato state cities of Celaya and Salamanca.
Construction of the Saltillo-Nuevo Laredo line is scheduled to commence in July. It will have several intermediate stations including one in Monterrey, Nuevo León.
The Saltillo-Nuevo Laredo passenger train line will give residents of Monterrey a direct land route to the U.S. border. (Javier Rentería/Pexels)
Lajous said that the passenger train projects have a range of objectives, including to reduce congestion on highways, improve connectivity, provide efficient and safe transport options to citizens and reduce Mexico’s carbon footprint.
He noted that the projects will have a beneficial spillover effect for the Mexican economy.
Sheinbaum announced in November that the government had set aside 157 billion pesos (around US $7.7 billion) in its 2025 budget to begin installing 3,000 kilometers of train tracks.
Mexico once had a vast passenger train network, but most lines were closed in the 1990s after the railroad system was privatized.
In late 2023, López Obrador published a decree that established the provision of passenger train services as a priority for national development, a step toward achieving his goal of restoring Mexico’s passenger train network to its former glory.
On Wednesday, Sheinbaum addressed Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, Pemex's watery oil and the perception of corruption in Mexico. (Gustavo Alberto/Cuartoscuro)
Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, Pemex’s watery oil and Mexico’s poor standing on a global corruption index were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum was asked about at her Wednesday morning press conference.
As usual, Sheinbaum held her mañanera in the National Palace in the historic center of Mexico City, the seat of executive power and the president’s residence.
Sheinbaum told reporters that her government would send a letter to its United States counterpart presenting its argument against U.S. tariffs on Mexico’s steel and aluminum exports. (Gustavo Alberto/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico to send letter to US to set out case against steel tariffs
Sheinbaum told reporters that her government would send a letter to its United States counterpart presenting its argument against the tariffs the U.S. intends to impose on all steel and aluminum imports starting March 12.
“We’re going to send information to the White House about what was presented [by Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard] yesterday, … a missive … to show President Trump that in the particular case of steel and aluminum they export more [to us] than we export [to them],” she said.
“… In this case, the United States has a surplus. So it’s not advisable for the United States to put steel and aluminum tariffs on Mexico,” Sheinbaum added.
Ebrard said Tuesday that he would personally present Mexico’s argument to Howard Lutnick, Trump’s nominee for Commerce Secretary, and Jamieson Greer, the prospective U.S. trade representative, next week.
Sheinbaum said Wednesday that the economy minister has already “had conversations” with Lutnick, “even though he is not [yet] ratified by the Senate.”
Sheinbaum: Watery oil problem to be resolved within 10 days
The Bloomberg news agency reported on Monday that “U.S. oil refiners along the Gulf Coast are snubbing shipments from Mexico and instead turning to Colombia and Canada amid complaints that Petróleos Mexicanos [Pemex] is increasingly delivering crude that’s unfit to make gasoline and diesel.”
“Refiners in Texas and Louisiana are demanding discounts and repeatedly complaining about the high water content in crude currently coming from Mexico, according to people with knowledge of the situation,” Bloomberg said.
Pemex CEO Víctor Rodríguez Padilla told the president’s mañanera that the state oil company has a “very temporary” salt and water problem. (Gustavo Alberto/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum said Wednesday that water in crude is a “normal” occurrence that affects “a lot of oil companies” around the world.
“There is a way to resolve it,” the president added.
“… There are technical mechanisms that allow the water to be removed … and that’s what Pemex is doing,” Sheinbaum said.
“… They will resolve [the problem] in the next 10 days,” she said.
Sheinbaum said that an offshore platform that supplies crude to the Olmeca Refinery on the Tabasco coast is among those that have a watery oil problem.
Citing its sources, Bloomberg said that Mexico’s “flagship Maya crude is being delivered with as much as 6% of water content, or six times more than the industry standard.”
Pemex CEO Víctor Rodríguez Padilla told the president’s mañanera that the state oil company has a “very temporary” salt and water problem.
“None of our ships has been rejected,” he said, although he acknowledged that refiners have complained.
He said that Pemex has been penalized for supplying watery oil but only “in cents” of the regular price paid for crude.
‘Privileges are over, corruption is over’
“Fortunately, the perception of the [Mexican] people is different,” Sheinbaum said when asked about Mexico dropping 14 places to 140th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index.
“How can it be explained that tax collection almost doubled from 2018 to 2024 without a fiscal reform? Privileges are over, corruption is over. There are still spaces where we can continue saving resources, but there was very significant progress,” she said, referring to the six years former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador was in office.
“… What there is is regime change — from a regime of corruption and privileges [before 2018] to a regime of honesty and service to the people. And we’re going to continue,” Sheinbaum said.
