The fire blazed through the night Tuesday and was still just 40% under control on Wednesday morning. (Margarito Pérez Retana/ Cuartoscuro.com)
A forest fire near the Magic Town of Tepoztlán has consumed more than 100 hectares of oak forest and was still burning as of noon Wednesday.
The affected area, known as Chicuacemac, lies within the Protected Natural Area of El Tepozteco National Park in Tepoztlán, just 50 miles from Mexico City in the state of Morelos.
The firefighting efforts were hampered by the rugged terrain of the Tepozteco’s jagged mountains. (Conafor)
With cobblestoned streets and tiled roofs, Tepoztlán is one of the most popular tourist destinations for Mexico City residents. The town sits on an archaeological site built between 1150 and 1350 A.D., and stands about 600 meters above the Tepoztlán Valley.
On Wednesday, the National Forestry Commission (Conafor) reported that the fire is 40% contained and 30% extinguished. Conafor said it is sending 12 firefighters from Mexico City to support the existing brigade team of more than 250.
Two helicopters from the Naval Ministry (Semar) and Defense Ministry (Defensa) have also been ordered to assist in the firefighting effort.
According to authorities, the fire broke out at approximately 6 p.m. on Monday evening and may have been due to “human causes.” Tepoztlán Mayor Perseo Quiroz Rendón said that all three levels of government would proceed with the corresponding complaints.
The firefighting effort has been hampered by the topography of the Tepozteco, which consists of high, jagged mountains rising abruptly from almost flat terrain. As a result, brigade teams have focused on firebreaks, rehabilitating 2,500 meters of previously existing breaks and opening up 3,500 meters of new ones.
According to officials, the fire currently poses no risk to the inhabitants of Tepoztlán.
Still, authorities have called on the population to avoid joining the firefighting efforts unless they have proper training. Instead, they’ve requested residents to coordinate their efforts with local authorities.
Arca Continental has operated in Mexico for 99 years and is the second-largest Coca-Cola bottler in the Americas. (Shutterstock)
Mexican Coca-Cola bottler Arca Continental will invest a record 18 billion pesos (US $895 million) to expand its business in 2025. Arca made the announcement during its annual shareholders’ meeting, where it presented its 2024 consolidated financial results.
Approximately 50% of the funds will go towards Arca’s operations in Mexico, with the other 50% supporting business expansion in the United States and South America, the company said on Tuesday.
The nearly billion-dollar investment will go toward strengthening Arca’s production and distribution capacity, accelerating the use of digital tools, launching new beverage categories and improving its sustainable business model. (Arca Continental)
“This amount will be primarily allocated to increasing production and distribution capacity, accelerating the use of digital tools, launching new beverage categories, as well as strengthening [Arca’s] sustainable business model and creating shared value in the communities it serves,” Arca said in a statement.
Arca Continental has operated in Mexico for 99 years and is the second-largest Coca-Cola bottler in the Americas and one of the largest in the world.
Highlights from the meeting included an 11.8% increase in net income, totaling almost 20 billion pesos ($992 million) and a net sales growth of 10.9%, totaling 237 billion pesos ($11.8 billion).
“We will continue with the digital transformation of the business and maintain the impeccable execution that distinguishes us, with the firm desire to make a positive difference in every territory we serve,” the bottler’s CEO Arturo Gutiérrez stated at the event.
Arca has been recognized for its sustainable practices, having been included in both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook.
“Guided by our strategy of profitable and sustainable growth, we continue to consistently create shared value in the markets where we operate,” Chairman of Arca’s Board of Directors Jorge Santos Reyna said at the shareholders’ meeting.
In February, Arca said that the looming tariffs would have a marginal impact on the total costs of its products sold in the U.S.
Arca’s Director of Administration and Finance Emilio Marcos Charur said that aluminum represents 10% of the total cost of products sold in the U.S., therefore, any price increase resulting from the tariffs would have a cost impact of less than 1%.
"They have stepped it up a lot, Mexico and Canada, so see how it works, right?" Trump said on Tuesday. (Cuartoscuro/The White House/X)
United States President Donald Trump and his nominee for ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson both praised the Mexican government on Tuesday for ramping up the fight against the trafficking of illegal drugs to the U.S. and the northward flow of migrants.
Ron Johnson, embajador de Estados Unidos en nuestro país, dijo sentirse alentado por las conversaciones con la presidenta @Claudiashein y le agradeció el apoyo en la frontera.
Donald Trump destacó que México ha intensificado mucho las medidas.
Johnson — an army veteran and former CIA official who served as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump’s first term as president — thanked the U.S. president “for the nomination to represent you and the United States to the United Mexican States.”
“And I’m really encouraged by some of the conversations you’ve had with President [Claudia] Sheinbaum recently, and … the increase in support that we’ve seen from her government along our border,” he added.
“They have stepped it up a lot, Mexico and Canada, so see how it works, right?” Trump responded.
Trump said he took the decision “as an accommodation, and out of respect for, President Sheinbaum.”
“Our relationship has been a very good one, and we are working hard, together, on the Border, both in terms of stopping Illegal Aliens from entering the United States and, likewise, stopping Fentanyl,” he wrote on social media on March 6.
In her March 6 call with Trump, Sheinbaum said she highlighted that fentanyl seizures at the border — which can be as used as a proxy to estimate whether the amount of the opioid entering the United States is going up or down — declined 41.5% in February compared to January.
Following her March 6 call with the U.S. president, Sheinbaum shared the statistics she showed Trump to convince him that Mexico is stopping the flow of fentanyl across the border. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum said that Trump wasn’t aware of that statistic, and attributed it to the increase in fentanyl seizures in Mexico. The number of migrants detected by United States authorities illegally crossing the Mexico-U.S. border has also fallen significantly since the new U.S. government took office on Jan. 20.
Sheinbaum: US sees that Mexico’s security strategy is working
On Wednesday morning, a reporter asked Sheinbaum about the remarks Johnson made on Tuesday in the presence of President Trump.
In response, she outlined the four pillars of her government’s security strategy, namely addressing the root causes of crime; strengthening the National Guard; improving intelligence and investigation practices; and enhancing the federal government’s coordination with other authorities.
“This strategy is what has allowed us to achieve the results we presented yesterday,” she said, referring to a reduction in the homicide rate since she took office, the seizure of more than 134 tonnes of drugs in the past six months and the arrest of almost 16,000 people for high-impact crimes such as murder.
Sheinbaum highlighted that preliminary data shows that Mexico has recorded 19 fewer homicides per day this month compared to September 2024, the final month of the six-year presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
“Nineteen fewer homicides per day,” she reiterated.
“Of course, the United States sees this. What else are we doing in this strategy? Avoiding that fentanyl crosses [into the United States] … for humanitarian reasons and due to the collaboration and coordination we have with the United States,” Sheinbaum said.
“… I assume this is what the ambassador sees,” she said.
This ecosystem is what you find if you enter Mexico through Mexicali or Ciudad Juarez.It’s the Mexico of film, song and cartoon: the hot, dry habitat of the Gila monster and the jumping cholla cactus. It’s arid — and semi-arid! — scrubland.
How is it possible that this same ecosystem is today the chosen home of thousands of Canadian and U.S. expatriates?
(Tomás Castellano/CC BY-SA 2.5)
It’s not so surprising. The northern extreme of Mexico’s arid and semi-arid scrubland includes the Sonoran Desert, where a temperature of 52 C (126 F) was recorded last June. But at the southern end of the system we find Mexico’s largest lake, Chapala, on whose shores the average temperature is about 21 C (70 F), which aligns with the standard comfortable room temperature in most parts of the world.
Living in the scrubland
Few of the 20,000 expats living on the shores of Lake Chapala would describe their neighborhood as ”semi-arid scrubland,” despite what the geography books say. On the contrary, realtors in the area have long and loudly stated that Chapala has the second best climate in the world according to National Geographic.
Investigation by geographer Tony Burton, backed up by an AI search conducted by Copilot, gives the lie to this claim. If it’s any consolation, International Living lists Mexico’s climate as third-best in the world… but neglects even a mention of Lake Chapala.Let us turn instead to local resident and historian Jim Cook for a description of the climate.
“Lake Chapala has three seasons,” Cook writes. “June through October is the rainy season, with average daily temperatures in the mid-70s to mid-80s F. Although we get some dramatic thunderstorms during the rainy season, nearly all the rain occurs at night.”
“Winter begins in November and runs through March. Temperatures are a little lower, but the days are glorious, crystal clear and sunny with cool breezes, free of humidity. In late March, the ‘hot season’ begins, running from then through mid-June. The hot season is quite dry, sometimes dusty, and temperatures can rise into the low 90s. Still, it is nothing like the baking-hot summers of Texas or the thickly damp and humid heat of Louisiana.”
“Every morning,” says Chapala resident Susan Street, “I join a friend for a stroll along the Malecón (waterfront promenade). The view of the lake is always magnificent and there are waterbirds everywhere: herons, ducks, seagulls and, of course, the magnificently beautiful American white pelicans that come all the way from Canada to spend the winter with us.”
When it comes to entertainment and cultural attractions, residents of La Ribera enjoy never-ending musical, theatrical, gastronomic, artistic and artisanal events.
Folks with an itch for travel and adventure have a range of attractions that few places in the world could surpass.
Easy access to several ecosystems
As far as natural sites are concerned, you can access several other ecosystems within a few hours, an opportunity available to very few communities around the world.
In a matter of minutes, you can head into the hills above the lake, enter the temperate forest ecosystem, and wander through silent woods of stately pine and oak trees that look suspiciously Canadian. Or they can travel 50 kilometers north into the grasslands ecosystem and spend the day picking magic mushrooms. If they feel a yen for ocean and beach, they have only to drive a few hours south to the Pacific coast and two tropical ecosystems, where they can liberate baby sea turtles, and photograph crocodiles up close and personal.
See it all from a hang-glider
For an eye-opening look at the thorny, semi-arid terrain around Chapala, hop over to the hills at the west end of the lake to San José de los Pozos, only 17 kilometers from the water. Here you’ll find a sheer, 595-meter-high cliff, and beyond it the desert-like salt flats of Sayula.
This clifftop is one of the world’s best launch points for hang-gliding.
“We jump,” says enthusiast Pedro Kordich, “and we soar off into the distance exactly like a hawk or a seagull, wings extended, hovering, then gently floating to a new position where a thermal lifts us higher and higher. This is our game, floating and floating, rising and descending and rising again. This is surely the very maximum for a bird; the quintessence of flying and it is effortless, it is pure freedom and it is pure joy.”
You can experience this joy by signing up at Kordich Air Sports for a tandem flight, where you and an expert are strapped to a hang glider and towed into the air by a motorized glider known as a trike. Once the cord is detached, you and your instructor are on your own.
This is the best way to see the salt flats and the semi-arid ecosystem and at the same time to experience “pura libertad,” unbounded freedom.
If you don’t feel like flying, though, there are plenty of other, less risky attractions in the Lake Chapala area.
What to see around Lake Chapala
Lake Chapala vineyards
Viñedos El Tejón grows a wide variety of grapes on 26 hectares of land near San Luís Soyatlán, Jalisco. (John Pint)
Viñedos El Tejón is just one of several wineries and vineyards on the south shore of Lake Chapala. Here you can taste a locally grown syrah, chardonnay or pinot noir offered to you in a ranch house by Lupita, wife of Don Serapio Ruiz, said to be known throughout Napa Valley as one of the great experts in grafting grapevines.
La Bella Cristina Mansion
(John Pint)
Also known as La Maltaraña, this old casona — with 365 doors and windows — stands at the east end of Lake Chapala, just waiting for visitors to admire its beauty and dive into its history.
The artisans around Lake Cajititlán
(John Pint)
Basalt molcajetes and sculptures, burnished pottery, horsehair and cane creations, and the finest hand-made ropes in Mexico: you can see artisans working on all of these only 13 kilometers north of Chapala.
The “flying white sheep” of Petatán
(John Pint)
Late every workday afternoon, thousands of American pelicans gather at this town at the southeast end of Lake Chapala to enjoy huge quantities of fish scraps. The sights and sounds make for a unique and unforgettable experience. Just don’t go there on Sunday, because the pelicans won’t show up!
As you stand there taking in the sight of ten thousand lovely pelicans hovering above a gorgeous lake, please bear in mind that you really are in semi-arid scrubland— but Mexican style!
John Pint has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of “A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area” and co-author of “Outdoors in Western Mexico.” More of his writing can be found on his website.
Korea meets Mexico in this recipe for kimchi quesadillas. (Charles Haynes, Nate Beaty / CC SA 2.0)
Mexico has never been afraid of taking something foreign and making it better. Ask the pig.Ask shawarma. So why not kimchi? Why not throw fermented cabbage, born in Korean winters, into a hot pan with melted cheese and a tortilla, the Mexican comfort blanket? And while we’re at it, why not drop in a little anchovy to tie it all together with that quiet, briny punch for delicious kimchi quesadillas?
Let’s back up. Fish has always been part of Mexico’s cooking story. Long before missionaries and European spices arrived, coastal peoples grilled and smoked fish over open fires, folded it into masa or dried it to travel. When the Spanish arrived, they brought olive oil, garlic and wheat— and suddenly fish was being fried, stewed and served with sauces that smelled suspiciously like a monk’s dinner party.
Korea’s kimchi offers a sharp flavor profile that stands out when paired with Mexican cuisine. (Jeremy Keith/CC 2.0)
So what happens when pungent, spicy, unapologetic kimchi meets the warm, gooey embrace of a quesadilla? Magic. Fermentation has long been part of Mexico’s culinary DNA: pulque, tepache, even the tangy sourdough notes in ancient corn masa. Kimchi doesn’t clash: it thrives with Mexican ingredients. It brings a sharpness that cuts through the richness of cheese, much like pickled jalapeños have done for generations. But bolder. Louder. Kimchi is the mariachi song in the room.
Then we add anchovies. Not to make things more complicated, but to tie the story together. Mexican cooking has long used fish sauce equivalents — dried shrimp, salted fish, that fifth flavor hiding in a mole or caldo that you can’t quite name but crave endlessly. The anchovy disappears into the pan but leaves behind a savory echo. It’s the ocean’s signature on the recipe.
The only way a tortilla could be more Mexican is if it was filled with grilled cheese…wait a minute. (Unsplash)
And if anyone asks, “Is that authentic?” just smile. Authenticity is a story we tell ourselves to feel safe. Deliciousness, on the other hand, is real. It’s hot, messy, dripping down your fingers, and making you reach for another bite.
In the end, Mexico’s culinary genius has always been this: take what the world gives you, love it, change it, make it better. Kimchi and cheese, meet tortilla and anchovy. Now sit down, eat and let me know what you think in the comments.
Optional garnish: sesame seeds, extra scallions, lime wedges
Instructions
Make the flavor base: Heat a small pan over medium heat, add a splash of oil, the minced garlic, and the chopped anchovies. Stir until the anchovies dissolve into the garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the chopped kimchi, sesame oil and gochujang. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until it smells so good you consider eating it straight from the pan. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Assemble: Lay out one tortilla. Sprinkle half the cheese, spread the warm kimchi-anchovy mixture evenly on top, then scatter the scallions. Add the rest of the cheese and top with the second tortilla.
Cook: Heat a pan over medium heat, add a little butter or oil. Slide in the quesadilla and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp and the cheese is melting out the sides.
Slice and serve: Transfer to a cutting board, slice into wedges, sprinkle with sesame seeds, maybe a squeeze of lime, and more scallions if you’re feeling fancy.
Stephen Randall has lived in Mexico since 2018 by way of Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He’s an enthusiastic amateur chef who takes inspiration from many different cuisines, with favorites including Mexican and Mediterranean.
The April 2 U.S. tariffs and the federal government's response to the "extermination camp" in Jalisco were the main topics of the president's Tuesday morning press conference. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
Many Mexicans are currently in a state of collective suspense.
Will the United States impose additional tariffs on imports from Mexico next week? How will Mexico respond if it does?
How many people were killed at the property in Jalisco that has been described as a cartel “extermination camp”? Who were the victims? What really happened at the now infamous ranch?
These questions are at the center of Mexico’s current national conversation.
Time is once again ticking on President Trump’s tariff clock. Will Mexico avoid the threatened 25% tax a third time? (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
At President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Tuesday morning press conference, they were once again a central focus of the dialogue between officials and reporters. But the questions remain.
Mexico could announce retaliatory tariffs on April 3
Sheinbaum told reporters that her government will wait until April 2 before deciding whether it will retaliate against U.S. protectionism.
Sheinbaum said that in meetings with the United States government, Mexican officials are “providing all the information” about the impact that additional tariffs on Mexican goods would have on both the U.S. and Mexico.
“There is a lot of communication between [Economy] Minister [Marcelo] Ebrard and [Commerce] Secretary [Howard] Lutnick. They are in permanent communication,” she said.
Ebrard has previously asserted that blanket tariffs on Mexican goods would cause significant job losses in the United States and increase prices for American consumers. The Mexican economy would go into recession if blanket tariffs on Mexican exports to the U.S. were maintained for an extended period of time, according to some economists.
Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that she will announce measures against United States imports on April 3 if need be.
“According to what they present on April 2, we would announce measures, if that’s the case, on April 3,” she said.
Sheinbaum has repeatedly stated that her government has a plan B in the case that the U.S. enacts 25% tariffs on Mexico’s exports. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
On numerous occasions, Sheinbaum has expressed confidence that Mexico will avoid retaliatory tariffs on its exports to the United States as Mexico doesn’t impose duties on the majority of imports from the U.S. That may well be the case, but President Donald Trump is not known for being predictable, and has already shown he is willing to use tariffs to pressure Mexico to do more to stem the flow of drugs and migrants to the United States.
For her part, Sheinbaum has repeatedly stressed that Mexico, the United States and Canada should respect the free trade rules established by the USMCA in order to maintain North America’s capacity to effectively compete with other regions of the world.
He noted that the FGR has been tasked with carrying out an investigation into the property and the illicit activities that allegedly took place there, but stressed that the government itself currently has no evidence that the ranch was an “extermination camp,” as it has been described in numerous media reports.
On Tuesday, a reporter asked Gertz whether the FGR would allow journalists to visit the property, as the Jalisco Attorney General’s Office did last week.
Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero said on Tuesday that federal forensic experts are at the site of the mass grave in Jalisco “to determine the reality about what is there.” (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
“First let us take possession [of the ranch], we’re doing that at the moment. Our federal forces are going in at the moment, our experts are going in, they’re taking possession of the property,” the attorney general said.
“And we’re going to be reporting everything that is necessary every day,” Gertz said before indicating that journalists could be allowed to visit the site again as long as their presence “doesn’t hinder our work.”
Asked whether he was planning to visit the ranch himself, the attorney general responded:
“Those who have to be there are the [forensic] experts. I can’t replace the role of experts. I have the responsibility of an institution. And the experts have to give me an account of everything they find and I have the obligation to make it known to everyone. That’s my work.”
Tickets to the event start at US $1,400 for general access and go all the way up to 1.1 million. (Sergio Sala/Unsplash)
A March 21 post on Fyre Festival’s official social media account says that the second edition of the musical festival is moving to Playa del Carmen following a February announcement that it would take place in Isla Mujeres.
Fyre Festival, a fraudulent, disastrous music festival held in 2017, saw its creator Billy MacFarland face criminal charges in the United States after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and making false statements to federal officials. After spending four years in prison, he’s now attempting a second edition of the festival dubbed Fyre Festival 2.
The latest announcement changing the venue’s location was met with skeptical comments from social media users like: “How is this dude even legally allowed to try this again? Lol,” and “Does this guy not know how to plan? Situate location first. Then plan from there.”
Responding to the negative reaction to the event, MacFarland, 33, said in a video on Twitter early in March that “Fyre 2 is real,” claiming that he has contracts with partners that include a production company in Mexico, yachts, hotels and more.
According to its official Instagram page, Fyre Festival 2 is set to happen from May 30 to June 2. A press conference is scheduled for Thursday, March 27, in Playa del Carmen, to share further details of the event.
“This press conference marks a major milestone in bringing Fyre 2 Festival 2 to life as an intimate, curated event, bringing together the best of music, arts, community, and adventure in the heart of the Riviera Maya,” the statement says. Despite the announcement, details about the musical lineup remain scarce, leaving fans and skeptics wondering who might perform at the festival.
Tickets to the event start at US $1,400 for general access. VIP access can be purchased for $5,000, which in addition to the general access package, includes a shuttle service from a selection of local hotels.
For $25,000, fans can get backstage access to the “Water Stage, Pitside access to the Fight Pit, a curated itinerary of FYRE experiences, transportation throughout the weekend, accommodation for two nights amongst the artists and performers, concierge, and more,” according to the organizers.
As if those packages weren’t enticing enough, the festival’s site advertises a ticket priced at $1.1 million dubbed the “Prometheus God of Fyre” ticket, which includes the aforementioned “Artists” package plus access to the Prometheus Marina and accommodation in any of the following alternatives: the Marina four-stateroom yacht, a four-bedroom villa provided by the Nemesis Group or a three-bedroom Presidential Suite at the Chablé Maroma, for three nights.
Neither Chablé Maroma nor Nemesis Group have confirmed this collaboration.
The Playa del Carmen municipal government has not yet released a statement regarding Fyre Festival 2. (Dennis Sylvester Hurd/wikicommons)
The original Fyre Festival, which sold day passes ranging from $500 to $1,500, and VIP packages including airfare and accommodation for $12,000, was scheduled to take place in April 2017 in the Bahamas. When attendees arrived at the venue, they found flimsy camping tents instead of luxury villas and cheap food including a now-infamous cheese sandwich that was served along with some lettuce in a styrofoam container.
It remains to be seen how Fyre Festival 2 unfolds, and if MacFarland has regained the public’s trust.
Guanajuato, known to have the highest homicide rate in Mexico, had its least violent week of 2025 last week, according to government data shared on Tuesday. (Diego Costa/Cuartoscuro)
The Bajío region state of Guanajuato has been Mexico’s most violent state in recent years in terms of total homicides.
But the state’s daily murder rate declined sharply last week, according to preliminary government statistics, allowing Guanajuato to shake off that unenviable title, at least for a brief period of time.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch told reporters on Tuesday that the drastic reduction in homicides was “an immediate result” of high-impact arrests made last week. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
Federal Security Minister Omar García Harfuch attributed the almost 45% week-over-week decline in homicides to the arrest last Tuesday of nine people he said were “members of a crime cell linked to a group dedicated to kidnapping, fuel theft, drug sales, armed attacks and principally homicides in the state of Guanajuato.”
At President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference on Tuesday, García presented data that showed there was an average of seven homicides per day in Guanajuato between March 17 and 23, a 44.9% reduction compared to the 12.7 murders per day recorded in the state between March 10 and 16.
Guanajuato thus had its least violent week of 2025 last week, according to the data displayed by the security minister. The most violent week of the year to date in Guanajuato was between March 3 and 9, when there was an average of 15.6 homicides per day.
García told reporters that “as an immediate result” of the arrests last Tuesday “Guanajuato has not been in first place in homicide numbers for six days.”
However, data presented earlier in the press conference showed that Guanajuato has been the most violent state so far this month with almost 300 homicides between March 1 and 24.
Crime cell leader ‘Alfa 1’ among the 9 suspects detained
García reported that federal security forces including the army and the navy carried out “six simultaneous” operations on March 18 that resulted in the arrest of nine people in Querétaro, Guanajuato and Yucatán.
As noted above, the security minister said that the nine suspects were members of a crime cell linked to a larger organized crime group that operates in Guanajuato.
The larger group he was referring to is reportedly an alliance between the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel and the Gulf Cartel, which are believed to have joined forces in a fight against the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in Guanajuato. The Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel has been fighting the CJNG in Guanajuato for years.
Detenido José Francisco Contreras Gómez, alias “Alfa 1”, líder de la célula “Escorpiones” del Cártel del Golfo, vinculada con el Cártel Santa Rosa de Lima
Cuenta con antecedentes penales por diversos delitos en los años 2008 y 2019 y fue señalado como objetivo prioritario de las… pic.twitter.com/FWLy3m7pFV
García highlighted that José Francisco Contreras Gómez — who allegedly headed up the Los Escorpiones cell of the Gulf Cartel — was among those detained last Tuesday.
“In addition, he was in charge of ordering attacks on rival groups and also against authorities,” García said.
Contreras was arrested in Querétaro along with his partner, Sandra León Moreno, nicknamed “La Patrona” (The Boss).
García said that the arrest of Contreras was of “great importance because he was one of the main generators of violence in the region.”
“As we’ve said on other occasions, we’re convinced that in order to reduce the crime rate we have to detain those who commit crimes and this is proof of that,” he said.
García also highlighted that a man identified only as José Remedios “N” was among the nine people detained in last week’s simultaneous operations.
He described José Remedios as a “homicide leader of a criminal cell” and said he has been “identified by the National Intelligence Center as one of the main generators of violence in the region of Guanajuato and Querétaro.”
Though Guanajuato saw fewer homicides last week, the state is still the most violent in the country, registering 278 homicides from March 1-24. Following Guanajuato are México state, Baja California, Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Sonora. (SSNSP/X)
The suspect, also reportedly a member of Los Escorpiones, was detained in the state of Yucatán.
García said that on the instructions of Sheinbaum, he and Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo would travel to Guanajuato later in the day to meet with the state governor and her team in order to “monitor the actions that are continuing to reduce high-impact crimes in the entity.”
Almost 1 in 5 homicides this month occurred in Guanajuato
Data presented earlier in Sheinbaum’s press conference by the head of the National Public Security System (SNSP) showed that there were 278 homicides in Guanajuato between March 1 and 24 for an average of 11.6 per day. That figure is more than double the number of homicides in México state, which ranks as Mexico’s second most violent state so far this month.
SNSP chief Marcela Figueroa highlighted that more than 17% of all homicides in Mexico so far this month occurred in Guanajuato. There were 1,619 homicides across the country in the first 24 days of March, according to the data she presented. An average of 67.46 murders were reported per day in the first 24 days of the month, a 22.4% decline compared to the daily average in September, the last month of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s six-year term.
In Guanajuato, most of the violence is concentrated in a relatively small number of municipalities including Salvatierra, Celaya and Salamanca. The aforesaid turf war between the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel and the CJNG is the main driver of the violence.
Mexico’s most violent states this month
According to the preliminary data presented by Figueroa, the 10 most violent states in Mexico in terms of total homicides so far this month are as follows:
Guanajuato: 278 homicides accounting for 17.2% of all homicides in Mexico this month.
Initial expansion plans for Dr. Simi US will focus on California and Texas, but the company expects to eventually open offices in the states of New York, Illinois, Arizona and Florida. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
The drug store chain Farmacias Similares and its iconic mascot Dr. Simi are closer to gaining a foothold in the United States after nearly two decades of trying to expand the pharmacy north of the border.
On Monday, the company inaugurated its new office in downtown Austin, the Texas state capital, only 500 meters south of the state capitol building.
Director Víctor González Herrera presided over the ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony, describing the event as “the perfect moment” to enter the U.S. market. The site features two offices, a board room and a meditation room.
“The first attempt was over 20 years ago with my father; years later, we made another attempt, but fate didn’t allow it to flourish. Today is the perfect moment for Dr. Simi to arrive not only as a commercial enterprise but also to extend its mission of support and assistance to this great nation,” González said.
The Austin operations center — to be known as Dr. Simi US — will provide non-prescription generic drugs and health supplements, and, via an alliance with CVS Pharmacy, will also supply products via e-commerce using platforms such as Amazon.
Initial expansion plans for Dr. Simi US will focus on California and Texas, but the company expects to eventually open offices in the states of New York, Illinois, Arizona and Florida.
“Our strategic plan is based on reaching cities where 70% of Latinos live,” said Ramón Soler, the director of Dr. Simi US.
Beyond its basic commercial goals, González said the company’s mission “will emphasize the social commitment that characterizes the Farmacias Similares brand” within a long-term vision that includes participation in cultural and sporting events such as the 2026 World Cup which will be co-hosted by Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
The company was encouraged by the inroads it made into California via its non-profit, charitable organization Fundación del Dr. Simi during January’s tragic fires in Los Angeles. The foundation provides help for those in need in areas such as health, nutrition, education and sports.
Power outages affected seven of Quintana Roo's 11 municipalities on Monday evening. (Enrique Bancalari/Unsplash)
The Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) restored power in the southeastern Yucatán Peninsula on Tuesday morning after several power outages were reported across the state of Quintana Roo.
The blackouts, which began at 6 p.m. on Monday, affected seven of the 11 municipalities in Quintana Roo, including the tourist destinations Tulum, Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Bacalar and Puerto Morelos.
🔴#Urgente | México sufre apagones masivos y prolongados en Yucatán, Campeche y siete municipios de Quintana Roo: Bacalar, Cancún, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Puerto Morelos e Isla Mujeres. pic.twitter.com/aBXjDEqxdi
In Cancún, the power outage primarily affected the northwest corner of the city. Residents in the neighboring states of Campeche and Tabasco also reported several hours of power outages on social media.
CFE reported that the blackouts were due to the poor quality of natural gas caused by high humidity levels in the Mayakán gas pipeline that runs from southern Tabasco to Valladolid, Yucatán.
The commission said in a statement that because of the poor gas quality, generating plants were forced to switch to alternative fuels.
“To mitigate the impacts during this period of irregular supply, the Generation Subdirectorate, in coordination with the subsidiary CFEnergía and the National Energy Control Center (Cenace), made the decision to implement scheduled power outages for periods of time (rotating outages) to minimize the impact on users,” the bulletin stated.
CFE reported that power was restored to 47% of those affected in Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Yucatán by 9 p.m. on Monday.
