What you need to know about Friday’s nationwide disaster drill

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September 18, 2025

people evacuating building durin simulacro — While official personnel and trained responders will oversee the drill at many locations, everyday residents are expected to participate, such as by evacuating buildings during the earthquake simulations. (UNAM/Cuartoscuro.com)

More than 80 million cell phone users in Mexico should expect to receive an alert at noon on Friday as a signal to participate in the government’s twice-annual earthquake drill, which will also include emergency exercises for several types of natural disasters, depending on the region of the country.

Friday’s drill, the second this year, falls on the 40th anniversary of the devastating Sept. 19, 1985, earthquake that claimed the lives of untold thousands. That 8.1-magnitude temblor was followed by an aftershock the next day that heightened the damage.

collapsed building after 1985 quake — While Sept. 19 is a designated date for disaster drills across Mexico, it’s also a time for remembering the victims of the devastating earthquakes on that day in 1985 and 2017. (Courtesy/DGCS UNAM)

The drill also falls on the eighth anniversary of the 7.1 magnitude quake that killed more than 350 people and heightened the notion among Mexicans that September is earthquake month.

However, since not all states are equally vulnerable to seismic events, the type of drill will vary by location.

The hypothesis for central Mexico, including Mexico City, will be an 8.1-magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, on the Pacific Coast. The simulation will be for an intense quake in Mexico City, Guerrero and Michoacán; a strong or very strong one in Colima, Oaxaca, Morelos and México State; and a moderate temblor in Guanajuato, Puebla, Tlaxcala and Veracruz.

In the states of Campeche, Yucatán, Sonora, Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur, the hypothetical emergency will be a hurricane.

In the states of Durango, Guanajuato and Tamaulipas, it will be an urban fire, while Baja California residents simulate a reaction to a tsunami.

Who participates in the drills?

Local governments will join the federal government in carrying out Friday’s drill, which will ask civil protection and security agencies as well as emergency responders and everyday residents to react to the hypothetical natural disasters.

The federal government will also test its cell phone alert system, announcing on Tuesday that it hopes to send a warning to cell phones in every corner of the country. During last year’s September drill, the alert system was tested only in the greater Mexico City area.

Local governments have been preparing for the drill for several months. The Mexico City drill preparations included a request that building managers/owners register with City Hall and submit participation results and observations afterward. More than 9 million people have signed up as formal participants, and 126,000 buildings are registered.

A Mexican government post on X, translated into English, reads: "On Friday, September 19, at 12:00 p.m., the Second National Drill 2025 will take place. A mass alert will arrive on all cell phones via text message with sound.You do not need mobile data or apps; just make sure you have emergency alerts enabled on your Android or Apple device." — The government urged Mexicans to enable emergency alerts on their phones ahead of Friday’s drill. (X)

Community organizations were advised of the hypothetical disaster for their region and asked to confirm evacuation plans, discuss and prepare protocol and ensure that emergency contact information is up to date.

What should you do during the drill?

The drill will begin at 12 noon Mexico City time and all 32 federal entities (31 states and Mexico City) will participate.

In a press release describing the drill at length, the government said the earthquake siren will ring out from 14,491 loudspeakers (primarily located in Mexico City), while alerts will be issued by 100 AM/FM commercial radio stations, as well as 11 public TV stations. Cell phones should start pinging at the same time.

The public is asked to participate by evacuating buildings and obeying instructions of safety representatives.

Participants should also assist and look after children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

They should also turn off gas, water and electricity as they would in a real emergency. With this in mind, the public should consider family civil protection plans and consciously identify safe areas in homes, schools and workplaces.

Since emergency response protocols will be activated and municipal, state and federal authorities will use the drill to test emergency response strategies, the public is asked to remain calm and allow responders to carry out their exercises.

With reports from El Economista and El Financiero

Less smuggling, more import tax collection: The goals of Mexico’s biggest customs reform in decades

By

MND Staff

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September 18, 2025

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A semi trailer appraoches customs at a land border crossing — Customs handles major amounts of money: 30% of Mexico's tax revenue (over a trillion pesos a year) comes from import duties and other customs payments. (Carlos Sánchez Colunga/ Cuartoscuro)

The Mexican government anticipates that it will collect an additional 3.49 billion pesos (US $190.2 million) in revenue in 2026 due to the modernization of information and control systems in customs, an initiative that also seeks to reduce the entry of contraband and tax evasion at Mexico’s land and sea ports.

The plan to increase tax collection through the upgrade of customs systems was outlined in the government’s proposed 2026 budget. It is also part of a proposed reform to the Customs Law that was submitted to Congress by President Claudia Sheinbaum last week.

A portrait of the Mexican president, Dr. Claudia Sheinbaum — Last week, President Sheinbaum submitted a proposal to Congress to reform Mexico’s customs laws. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

According to a report by the news website Expansión, the last time the government received additional revenue due to the modernization of customs systems was in 2007. From 2008 onwards, “the amount remained at zero,” Expansión wrote.

The additional revenue that is projected to be collected due to the modernization of customs systems exceeds the proposed 2026 budget of the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM), which is slated to get 3.46 billion pesos next year.

Around 30% of Mexico’s tax revenue comes from import and export duties and other payments collected by customs. The Finance Ministry projects that the government will receive 5.83 trillion pesos (US $317.4 billion) from tax collection in 2026.

In the first half of 2025, Mexico’s customs offices collected almost 712 billion pesos (US $38.8 billion), with the office in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, taking in the most revenue in the period.

Modernization of customs systems aims to stop crime and promote ‘more efficient foreign trade’

In budget documents, the Finance Ministry (SHCP) said that cutting-edge technology will be used to detect and prevent criminal activity, including tax evasion, at points of entry to Mexico — i.e. land ports along the country’s borders with the United States, Guatemala and Belize, and sea ports on the Pacific and Gulf coasts.

To prevent tax evasion, corruption and other forms of criminal activity, customs will make use of tools such as artificial intelligence, biometric devices and non-intrusive inspection technology, as well as risk management systems, real time video surveillance systems and tracking systems that monitor the movement of goods.

Criminal activity at land and sea ports includes the entry of contraband such as narcotics, firearms and chemical precursors used to make synthetic drugs including fentanyl and methamphetamine. The new technology could also help customs in the fight against the avoidance of paying the IEPS excise tax on imports of fuel, a practice known as “huachicol fiscal” — fiscal fuel theft, or tax-robbed fuel.

Writing in the El Economista newspaper, the director of the consultancy firm Inteligencia Más, Jimena Ortiz, said that “the bet” of the federal government is that with the use of new technological tools, “the state will be able to detect irregularities” at customs “with greater precision and reduce dependence on manual processes that are subject to discretion.”

The upgrade of customs systems will also facilitate smoother trade flows, according to the SHCP.

“In 2026 we will achieve the comprehensive modernization of customs operations, which will make the flow of goods and people more agile, significantly reducing waiting times and optimizing clearance processes,” the ministry said.

the commute from Tijuana to San Diego — The Finance Ministry said the customs reform will reduce wait times and streamline the flow of people and products across Mexico’s borders. (Omar Martínez/Cuartoscuro)

The SHCP said that the implementation of state-of-the-art technology in customs will also improve service and control at points of entry, promoting “more transparent and efficient foreign trade, which will contribute to an increase in tax collection and the economic growth of the country.”

According to Expansión, the proposal to reform Mexico’s Customs Law also seeks to “harmonize the responsibilities” of federal tax agency SAT and ANAM, “completely digitalize” operations in customs and allow technological collaboration agreements between ANAM and the federal government’s Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency.

The reform proposal also seeks to allow the imposition of more severe sanctions on people, including customs agents and brokers, who are found to have committed customs violations. Its passage through Congress is virtually assured given the dominance of the ruling Morena party and its allies in both the upper and lower houses.

The New York-based international law firm White & Case said that “the pending 2025 Customs Law reform, presented as part of the 2026 Economic Package, is widely viewed as the most significant” customs update in Mexico since 1995.

Will new technology really stop criminal activity at Mexico’s ports?

Alejo Campos, regional director for Latin America for the organization Crime Stoppers, told Expansión that investment in technology is not enough to stop the entry of contraband to Mexico and the evasion of customs duties.

“El Salvador is an example of how to reduce illegal trade to almost zero, but that is achieved when criminal structures [within customs] are broken up and a system that tolerates corruption doesn’t exist,” Campos said.

Mexican soldier at a customs station — The military took over customs operations in 2020, aiming to eliminate corruption — a goal that has yet to be realized. (File photo)

He said that “the human factor” continues to be crucial, even when an investment is made in artificial intelligence, scanners and real-time alert systems.

“The problem is who receives the alert. If the official is colluding [with criminals] or threatened, he won’t act. There are cases in which [customs] employees aren’t corrupt, but are being extorted and they fear for their life or the lives of their family. That paralyzes action,” Campos said.

In 2020, former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador gave the military administrative control of customs and ports as part of efforts to eliminate corruption at ports of entry. But large quantities of contraband have continued to enter the country.

One current case that points to military personnel not being as squeaky-clean as AMLO might have hoped is that involving the seizure of a petroleum tanker at the port of Tampico, Tamaulipas, in May. The tanker was carrying diesel on which a special import tax was due, but the cargo was declared to customs as a petrochemical exempt from the tax.

Earlier this month, authorities announced the arrest of 14 people in connection with the case. Among those detained were customs employees, businessmen and six members of the military, including a vice admiral.

With reports from Expansión and El Economista

Talk to the gods: The best archaeological sites to visit in Mexico City

By

Andrea Fischer

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September 18, 2025

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Mexico archaeological site — Believe it or not, Mexico City has her own ancient archaeological sites — some of them, hidden in the capital’s metro stations. (Andrea Murcia Monsivais/Cuartoscuro)

In convoluted CDMX, it is not uncommon to find archaeological sites right beside a Catholic cathedral. As devotees attend their Sunday service, both local and international tourists visit the remains of some of the greatest ceremonial complexes in the Americas — no wonder why Mexico City dwellers keep our Mesoamerican traditions alive.

If you’re tired of trying (aimlessly) to climb the Sun Pyramid in Teotihuacán and are craving a chit-chat sesh with the Mexica gods, Mexico City has some of the most impressive archaeological sites in Latin America. Talk to the gods — here’s our digest of the best archaeological sites in town.

Templo Mayor (Centro Histórico)

Designed by Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, the Templo Mayor archaeological site is located in the exact same place where “the most important ceremonial complex of the Mexica people” was erected, confirms the Cultural Information System (SIC). Originally, two majestic pyramids stood where the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral now stands. One was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, the God of War, and the other to Tláloc, the God of Water. It is said that, after the Spanish invasion in the 16th century, most of the stone used for these temples was used for building the cathedral in the present-day Zócalo.

Where? Seminario 8, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc.

Tlatelolco (Cuauhtémoc)

Throughout the centuries, the Tlatelolco square has witnessed bloodshed, prayer and intense commerce — all in the same place. (Andrea Murcia Monsivais/Cuartoscuro)

After Templo Mayor, the Tlatelolco archaeological site is probably “the second in importance in Mexico City,” claims the capital’s government. Located in the heart of Plaza de las Tres Culturas, remains suggest it was founded around the 14th century, “although there is evidence that it was previously inhabited.” The site is well-known for having held the greatest marketplace in Mesoamerica, which provided México-Tenochtitlán with the goods its population needed. Dozens of human remains have been found in the area, presumably belonging to the warriors who fought the Spaniards upon their arrival.

Where? Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas S/N, Tlatelolco, Cuauhtémoc.

Adoratorio a Ehécatl (Metro Pino Suárez)

Subway shrine Mexico City — Only in Mexico City can you find shrines nestled in the bowels of the subway, right? (Andrea Fischer)

The first time I visited Ehécatl’s Shrine, I was overwhelmed by the tumult. Hundreds of people rushed through the Pino Suárez Station, seemingly unaware that there, just before their eyes, was a pyramid. Originally a part of “an extensive Mexica ceremonial center,” as unearthed by the Mexico City Metro authorities, this temple was found by accident during the construction works of the subway’s Line 2 in 1967. INAH archaeologists determined that the shrine was dedicated to Ehécatl, the god Quetzalcóatl’s wind incarnation, due to a figurine found on top of the main structure. Today, this is Mexico’s tiniest archaeological site.

Where? José María Pino Suárez Station, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc.

Mixcoac (Benito Juárez)

Mixcoatl site — Mixcóatl translates from Náhuatl as “serpent of the clouds,” a cosmological reference to the Milky Way. (EViloria/Wikimedia Commons)

Originally founded on the shores of Lake Texcoco, as noted by the Mexico City government, “it later became an important religious and devotional site for the Mexica of the Triple Alliance” during the 15th century. Although only a small fraction of the pre-Hispanic settlement remains, tourists can visit the pyramid dedicated to Mixcoatl, the god of hunting. Remains show that this was a place of celebration and worship, where the Tepanecs invited the inhabitants of Tenochtitlán and Tlatelolco to enjoy displays of dance and music.

Where? Pirámide 7, San Pedro de los Pinos, Benito Juárez.

Cuicuilco (Tlalpan)

The archaeological site of Cuicuilco in Mexico City features one of the world’s few examples of a cylindrical pyramid. (Andrea Fischer)

Just as it is not uncommon to find Mesoamerican temples next to Catholic cathedrals in Mexico City, it is also possible to find archaeological complexes alongside highways. That is exactly the case with the Cuicuilco site. Now a national natural reserve — one of the few spots in CDMX where you can have a glimpse of what nature was like before the Conquest — this was the home of the Cuicuilca people during the Middle Preclassic period. Remains suggest this is the oldest site in central Mexico, with the “first ceremonial center of the Valley of Mexico,” as documented by Mexico City’s government. After the terrible explosion of the Xitle volcano, however, their civilization was destroyed.

Where? Av. Insurgentes Sur S/N, Espacio Ecológico Cuicuilco, Tlalpan.

Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.

‘Mentiras, La Serie’ is a playful television spin on Mexico’s longest-running musical

By

Rocio Lucero

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September 18, 2025

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Belinda Perigrin — "La Mentiras, La Serie" promises big hair, bigger lies and plenty of 1980s nostalgia. (IMDB)

In my 20s, I gravitated toward serious television. I couldn’t get enough of arthouse dramas, documentaries and obscure black-and-white films. Sure, like everyone else, I also enjoyed mainstream comedies – “Broad City” and “Girls” were staples of my early adulthood. But I preferred headier content. Maybe it was a reaction to growing up on unserious, though beloved, Mexican telenovelas, absurd talk shows and raunchy comedies. My taste swung the other way.

That shifted in my 30s. With daily news cycles already serving up endless drama, and at times trauma, I lost my appetite for bleak documentaries or heavy films. Instead, I began seeking out lighter shows. So when I saw the trailer for “Mentiras, La Serie,” I was delighted. Not only did it star my childhood icon Belinda, but it also featured a lineup of Mexican talent including Luis Gerardo Méndez, Regina Blandón, Mariana Treviño and Diana Bovio. The series premiered on Amazon Prime in June, which in today’s infinite-content reality doesn’t exactly make it “new.” But at MND, we like to highlight great Mexican movies and television shows, regardless of their release date.

A passion project

Poster for "Mentiras, La Serie" — A promotional poster for Amazon Prime’s “Mentiras, La Serie.” (Amazon Prime)

“Mentiras, La Serie” springs from “Mentiras, el Musical,” Mexico’s most successful stage show. Since its 2009 debut, the jukebox musical built around 1980s Spanish-language pop hits has logged over 4,000 performances. Written by José Manuel López Velarde, it combines melodrama, comedy and nostalgia in a story of four women caught in a deadly love quadrangle, all played out with the era’s most beloved songs.

For “Mentiras, La Serie,” Luis Gerardo Méndez not only played Emmanuel but also served as executive producer, teaming with López Velarde and director Gabriel Ripstein on the adaptation. Ripstein described the project as both a tribute and an expansion. A chance to revisit beloved characters while widening their universe through a fresh visual style. He noted that more than 30 of the most iconic songs from the 1980s would anchor the story, brought to life by a cast and crew he called “spectacular.”

The music rights posed a major hurdle, dragging negotiations out for four years. Some iconic hits didn’t make the cut due to licensing costs. Still, Méndez held firm on what mattered most: preserving the playful, campy energy and casting talent that could carry it. He pursued actress-singer Belinda for Daniela from the start and brought back Mariana Treviño, who had originated Lupita on stage.

Méndez has also cited “Moulin Rouge,” “La La Land,” and even “Barbie” as inspirations for the show’s hyper-stylized tone. And that influence is easy to spot. The series is bold, theatrical, and not afraid to lean into excess.

Campy, colorful and surprisingly layered

The eight-episode series is a visual feast: over-the-top ’80s aesthetics, from big hair to bright costumes to exuberant musical numbers. The theatrical connection is obvious in intentionally artificial sets –cardboard trees, painted backdrops, stage-like spaces –that remind viewers this is performance first and foremost.

But beneath the camp, there’s sneaky depth. Some of the characters eventually confront the biggest lies of all. The ones they’ve been telling themselves. And while the show thrives on melodrama, it also exposes the assumptions society projects onto women – assumptions that in 1980s Mexico, with its deep traditionalism, weighed even more heavily. That combination of playful excess with undercurrents of critique is what makes “Mentiras, La Serie” more than just a glossy adaptation.

Why the musical struck such a chord

Mentiras, La Serie | Amazon Prime | Trailer Oficial

Watch this video on YouTube

“Mentiras, el Musical” endures not only because of nostalgia but also because it reimagines the music and sensibility of the ’80s in a way that feels affectionate and exaggerated, like a telenovela with dance numbers. Its success stems from the energy of camp paired with the emotional resonance of songs embedded in Latin American popular culture.

That formula has proven durable, spawning tribute concerts, anniversary editions, and the drag parody “Mentidrags.” For many, the musical isn’t just a night at the theater. It’s a reminder of the cultural mood of the ’80s, when Latin pop and power ballads offered both entertainment and catharsis.

Songs and scenes that soared

The adaptation found new life through its soundtrack. Belinda’s mash-up of “Él Me Mintió / Mentiras Mentiras” climbed to No. 1 on Spotify’s Viral 50 Global chart, while the Mentiras album debuted at No. 6 on Spotify’s Top Albums Debut Global list. Overall, the soundtrack racked up over 2.4 million streams in just days. The success also boosted the original singers. Daniela Romo’s streams jumped 170%, Amanda Miguel’s by 94% and Yuri’s by 75%.

The series itself fueled online buzz, with Belinda’s numbers and several campy scenes going viral on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), where fans dissected everything from the costumes to the cheeky dialogue.

More than just escapism

When I first watched “Mentiras, La Serie,” I didn’t realize the stage show’s cultural weight, so I came in fresh. Some longtime fans criticized the changes to the plot, but I found the series fun, layered, and at times poignant. It left me curious to see the musical live.

I don’t really seek heavy content because the world already feels heavy enough. Mentiras, La Serie gave me the kind of playful diversion I was craving, but it also offered something deeper. A reflection on love, lies and the roles women were boxed into during a more conservative Mexico. That mix of camp and commentary is what makes the series worth watching—and why it’s more than just light entertainment.

Rocio is a Mexican-American writer based in Mexico City. She was born and raised in a small village in Durango and moved to Chicago at age 12, a bicultural experience that shapes her lens on life in Mexico. She’s the founder of CDMX IYKYK, a newsletter for expats, digital nomads, and the Mexican diaspora, and Life of Leisure, a women’s wellness and spiritual community.

Manufacturing production dips in July despite growth in exports

By

MND Staff

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September 18, 2025

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A masked person welds metal in an industrial workshop — July's dip in production coincided with a drop in manufacturing jobs. Employment for independent contractors, the hardest hit group, has declined 16% since last year. (Josh Beech/Unsplash)

Manufacturing production volume declined by 2.7% in July, according to official data from the National Institute of Geography and Statistics (INEGI). The slowdown comes after two months of growth, and contrasts sharply with the growing value of Mexico’s manufacturing exports.

Production volume also decreased year-over-year, declining 1.1% compared to the same month in 2024.

Both internal and external pressure have contributed to the industry’s slowdown. Economic uncertainty, low levels of productive investment, and reduced domestic and international demand have weakened the sector. Inflationary pressures and international risks have further constrained manufacturing activity, specially in subsectors such as textiles, wood and apparel.

INEGI also shows a 0.2% decrease in manufacturing employment, marking the sixth consecutive month of decline. Self-employed workers (independent contractors) were particularly affected, experiencing a 2.1% decline in July. The same self-employed workers have experienced a dramatic 16% drop in employment since last year.

The number of hours worked fell by 0.2% in July compared to June, and 2.2% compared to 2024. Meanwhile, people employed in the manufacturing industry declined 0.2% in the monthly comparison, which is equivalent to 19,000 jobs lost in July. The industry has lost 221,000 jobs since July 2024, a 2.3% decline.

The textiles and apparel sector are the hardest hit (down between 8-9%), along with the manufacturing of textile inputs and textile finishing (down 9%). Other manufacturing industries, such as oil and metals, weathered the impact better.

Industrial activity in Mexico falls for fourth consecutive month

The only positive data point was a 0.7% monthly increase and a 6% annual increase in average real wages within the manufacturing industry. With an average salary of 12,600 pesos, this translates to an increase of just 90 pesos per worker per month.

Overall, the sector’s 9.6 million employees received an additional 865 million pesos (US $47 million) in payroll.

Exports up in July

The manufacturing production’s slowdown sharply contrasts with INEGI’s data regarding July exports, which grew 4% in value compared to the same month last year, reaching US $56.7 billion in total exports. Mexico’s exports were worth US $54.78 billion in July 2024, which in turn increased by 14.7% compared to the same month of the previous year.

Interestingly, this growth is primarily attributed to the manufacturing sector, which contributed more than 90% of total export value, amounting to US $52.3 million in July alone.

Manufacturing exports offset the contractions in export value for other sectors, such as oil, which fell 23% year-over-year to US $1.9 billion, and the automotive sector, which also saw export value decline 7% to US $15.9 billion. Within the latter, exports to the United States fell 9.2%, although a 4.9% increase was observed to other destinations.

With reports from El Economista

Sheinbaum praises navy minister for ‘powerful’ anti-corruption speech: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped

By

MND Staff

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September 17, 2025

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Sheinbaum Sept. 17, 2025 — The president also took a moment on Wednesday morning to apologize for scolding a reporter last week. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

President Claudia Sheinbaum held her first morning press conference of the week on Wednesday after focusing on Independence Day activities on Monday and Tuesday.

“I was already missing you,” she told reporters at the start of the mañanera.

Later in the press conference, Sheinbaum spoke about a range of topics, including her history-making Grito de Independencia (Cry of Independence) on Monday night and an illicit fuel case allegedly involving members of the Mexican Navy.

**Sheinbaum: Part of being Mexico’s first presidenta is recognizing nation’s female historical figures**

A reporter asked the president about the Cry of Independence she delivered at Mexico City’s central square, the Zócalo, on Monday night. He specifically wanted to know the reason why Sheinbaum wished “long life” to Mexican independence heroines who hadn’t previously been mentioned in presidential Cries of Independence.

The president recalled that when she was in primary school the only independence heroine she was taught about was Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez.

“And in the following periods of history [we learned about] there were no women. It seemed as though there were only heroes and that there hadn’t been women in the history of Mexico who had an important or predominant role in the historic struggles or heroic deeds of our country,” she said.

“Part of being the first woman president has to do with recovering and recognizing the women in the history of Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.

In first ‘Grito’ as president, Sheinbaum honors Mexico’s heroines of Independence

“Why is it so important? First we’d have to ask, why weren’t [women] mentioned? Why weren’t the heroines recognized. It was a very masculine, very macho view of history,” she said.

“Secondly, what did it mean to a girl that only heroes were mentioned? Well, you thought that there were only men in history who had had an important role,” Sheinbaum said.

“You didn’t see yourself [in Mexico’s historical figures],” she said.

“… So it’s very important to recognize the heroines,” Sheinbaum added.

Illegal fuel and the navy minister’s ‘very powerful speech’

A reporter asked Mexico’s president about what he described as a “very powerful speech” made by Navy Minister Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles at an Independence Day military parade event on Tuesday.

Navy Minister Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles said in a speech on Tuesday that it is “absolutely unforgivable” that members of Mexico’s navy participated in a fuel smuggling scheme of this magnitude. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)

In his speech, Morales said that it was “very hard to accept” that members of the navy have committed “reprehensible acts” — such as engaging in fuel smuggling — but asserted that it would have been “absolutely unforgivable” to “keep quiet” about them.

“The fight against corruption and impunity is a central part of the transformation,” the navy chief said, referring to the so-called “fourth transformation” political project led by Sheinbaum.

The president didn’t comment directly on Morales’ speech, but described the navy minister as a “very honorable” and “brave” man.

She subsequently noted that the Federal Attorney General’s Office is responsible for investigating a fuel smuggling case allegedly involving members of the navy, including a vice admiral, and a petroleum tanker that was seized at the Gulf Coast port of Tampico, Tamaulipas, in March.

It’s “very important” that there not be impunity, said Sheinbaum, who frequently asserts that her government has zero tolerance for the scourge.

Hernán Bermúdez ‘expelled’ from Paraguay

Sheinbaum told reporters that the Foreign Affairs Ministry was seeking to expedite the extradition to Mexico of Hernán Bermúdez Requena, a former security minister in the state of Tabasco who was arrested in Paraguay last Friday.

Bermúdez, who served as security minister during the governorship of Adán Augusto López Hernández, is accused of heading up a criminal organization called La Barredora.

Bermúdez is likely still en route to Mexico, but will be immediately transferred to CEFERESO 1, a federal prison in México state, upon his arrival Wednesday evening in Mexico City. (SENAD Paraguay/Cuartoscuro)

He refused to agree to a simplified extradition process, creating the expectation that his transfer to Mexico would take two months or longer.

However, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch announced on Wednesday afternoon that Bermúdez was being transferred to Mexico.

“We appreciate the firm collaboration and support of the President’s Office of Paraguay, which notified the decision to expel said person,” García Harfuch wrote on social media, adding that the reason why he was expelled was his irregular entry to and presence in Paraguay.

Above a photo of Bermúdez next to a Mexican government plane, the security minister wrote that the suspect would be sent to CEFERESO 1, a federal prison in México state, “to continue his legal process.”

On Wednesday morning, Sheinbaum said that Mexico’s National Intelligence Center collaborated with Paraguayan authorities on the efforts to locate Bermúdez, who fled Mexico in January.

She noted that López Hernández, a former interior minister who is now the ruling Morena party’s top senator, has expressed his willingness to collaborate with authorities on the case against his former security minister in Tabasco.

Sheinbaum noted that the Tabasco Attorney General’s Office is investigating Bermúdez and stressed that her government won’t seek to intervene in or influence the investigation in any way.

“The important thing is [to have] zero impunity,” she said.

“That is very important. It doesn’t matter if he was security minister of a Morena governor. Zero impunity,” Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum apologizes to reporter

A week after she rebuked an El Universal journalist for the way he framed a question about the death of a marine, Sheinbaum apologized to the reporter.

Sheinbaum defends Navy’s investigation process after second military death in 1 week: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped

“If he felt offended or something like that, I apologize,” the president said.

“In reality, it’s important that there be … respect for the families when there is a situation of the death of a person,” she added.

Sheinbaum scolded the El Universal reporter after he asked whether it was a “coincidence” that a “marine allegedly linked to fuel theft” was killed during a live fire exercise in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora.

“With all respect to you and the media outlet you represent, the way you’re asking that question doesn’t seem right to me, not for the victim nor for what happened,” she said.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])

Diehl Aviation inaugurates new US $50M plant in Querétaro

By

MND Staff

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September 17, 2025

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Diehl Aviation building — Like many other aeronautical manufacturers, Diehl Aviation was attracted to Querétaro for its time zone compatibility with maor Western Hemisphere markets, its proximity to the United States, and its reputation as a growing hub in the industry. (@gobqro/X)

German aeronautical manufacturer Diehl Aviation has inaugurated a new plant in Querétaro as part of a campaign to strengthen its presence in the Americas.

With an investment of 918 million pesos (US $50 million), the plant is located in the PYME Industrial Park outside Querétaro, capital of the central state of the same name, and includes 8,200 square meters of production and office space. A second phase of expansion is in the works, which will add 4,000 to 6,000 square meters.

Opening ceremony Diehl in QRO — Company executives and state and local officials attended the inaugural ceremonies on Sept. 10 for Diehl Aviation’s new plant in El Marqués, just outside the state capital of Querétaro. (@makugo/X)

While 20 employees are currently on site at the newly inaugurated plant, the company said the workforce would grow to 500 people in the medium term. Production at the plant was expected to begin shortly after last week’s inauguration.

Governor Mauricio Kuri González led the opening ceremony and celebrated the importance of the firm’s arrival to his state. “The fact that a company of this size is with us […] gives us a lot,” he said. “We believe Querétaro is the best place to invest.”

With clients that include Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier, the company focuses on the production of supply systems, lavatories, overhead compartments, and intelligent solutions for aircraft interiors. Some of its offerings are extra-large trunks, oxygen systems, mechanical lifting systems, and digitalized elements designed to improve efficiency, safety, and comfort in aircrafts.

The company said its decision to establish itself in Querétaro responds to the state’s reputation as one of Mexico’s leading aerospace hubs, as well as to such advantages as time-zone alignment with final assembly lines in Brazil, Canada, and the United States, reduced transportation times, and a stronger local supply chain.

“We are not just opening a new location; we are writing the first lines of a new chapter in the history of aviation,” Diehl Aviation CEO Jorg Schuler said. “In Querétaro, we are expanding our global future and strengthening our presence in the United States.”

Diehl’s establishment in Querétaro adds to the more than 250 German companies operating in the state, and further solidifies its relevance in the aerospace industry.

With reports from Cluster Industrial and Tribuna Económica

Fed rate cut sends peso to strongest level vs. dollar in more than a year

By

MND Staff

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September 17, 2025

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Precio dólar — (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

The Mexican peso reached its strongest position against the US dollar in more than a year on Wednesday, appreciating to 18.20 to the greenback before weakening slightly.

The appreciation of the peso coincided with the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a range of 4%-4.25%.

The Fed’s cut — its first in 2025 — widens the gap between its interest rate and that of the Bank of Mexico, which is currently set a t 7.75%.

The peso generally performs better when the Bank of Mexico’s interest rate is significantly higher than that of the Fed because higher rates in Mexico offer investors greater returns, encouraging foreign capital inflows and increasing demand for the peso.

Peso has now appreciated on 8 consecutive trading days

The Bank of Mexico’s end-of-day USD:MXN exchange rate on Wednesday was 18.32, an appreciation of 0.2% compared to the closing rate on Monday. (Tuesday was a federal holiday in Mexico).

The last time the peso was stronger was on July 23, 2024, when the Bank of Mexico’s closing USD:MXN rate was 18.17.

What to expect for the Mexican peso in 2025, according to analysts

The appreciation of the peso on Wednesday extended the currency’s winning streak to eight trading days. In that period, the peso went from 18.74 to the dollar to 18.32, an appreciation of 2.3% against the greenback.

In 2025, the peso has appreciated 14% against the US dollar. The currency could benefit later in the year from additional interest rate cuts in the United States, although the Bank of Mexico will likely ease its monetary policy as well.

The backdrop of the ‘super peso’

In a column published on Wednesday, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper El Financiero, Enrique Quintana, wrote that the peso “is supported by a still-wide interest rate differential compared to the United States, which sustains the ‘carry’ [trade] and attracts flows into local bonds and peso-denominated hedges.”

“A narrative of macroeconomic stability is also at play: strong reserves, prudent management of public debt, and a current account backed by manufacturing exports, remittances, and projects linked to nearshoring. For global capital seeking returns with limited risks, Mexico appears relatively solid,” he wrote.

Quintana also wrote that “as long as doubts linger over Washington’s fiscal policy and the independence of the U.S. central bank, confidence in the dollar will continue to erode.”

“That is the backdrop of the so-called ‘super peso’: more than a triumph for Mexico, it reflects the weakness of the hegemonic currency,” he wrote.

With reports from El Economista

US names Mexico among 23 principal drug-producing countries while praising its anti-cartel crackdown

By

MND Staff

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September 17, 2025

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sacks of drugs — In the document, Trump promised to work cooperatively with Mexico to stop the cartels, but said the U.S. would take unilateral action if necessary. (Semar/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico appears on a formal White House list of drug-producing countries, along with 22 others, all but five in the Americas.

U.S. President Donald Trump submitted the list to Congress on Monday as part of a document called the Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2026. The Determination, presented annually, identifies those countries that are seen to have geographic, commercial or economic factors that allow drugs or precursor chemicals to be transited or produced, “even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control and law enforcement measures.”

confiscated drugs at border — President Sheinbaum’s agreement to send Mexican troops to the border with the U.S. and the resulting drug confiscations were cited as examples of increased cooperation between Mexico and the United States in the fight against drug cartels.
(Cuartoscuro)

Especially relevant to Mexico is the Determination’s emphasis that inclusion on the list “is not necessarily a reflection of its government’s counterdrug efforts or level of cooperation with the United States.” In fact, Trump singled out Mexico for some guarded praise in that respect.

“In Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum has increased cooperation to confront the powerful cartels that poison both our countries with drugs and violence,” Trump said in the document, which was written in the first person. The words echoed those of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also noted during his recent visit to Mexico increased cooperation in drug-fighting efforts during the Sheinbaum administration, including sending troops to the border and allowing CIA drones to fly over Mexican territory.

But Trump also said Mexico must do more to tackle the cartels. In the document, he said he expects to see “additional, aggressive efforts by Mexico to hold cartel leaders accountable and disrupt the illicit networks engaged in drug production and trafficking” over the next year.

“The United States will work with Mexico and other countries to target these national security threats cooperatively where we can, and through our own sovereign authorities where necessary,” he wrote, and followed it with a thinly veiled threat: “I will also call on countries where these drugs originate and transit to fulfill their obligations and shut off these supplies – or face serious consequences.”

Countries mentioned in the Determination as having failed to adhere to their obligations under international counternarcotics agreements over the past year are Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia and Venezuela.

The other nations on the list are The Bahamas, Belize, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Laos, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama and Peru.

With reports from El Economista and Milenio

Biologists work to turn Oaxaca’s Guiengola archaeological zone into nature reserve

By

MND Staff

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September 17, 2025

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Guiengola, Oaxaca — Guiengola has been recognized as a protected archaeological area for its Zapotec remains, but there's a serious movement to make it a nature preserve as well. (McGill University)

A coalition of Mexican biologists and environmentalists is working to transform the Guiengola archaeological zone in Oaxaca into a protected natural reserve, citing the area’s rich fauna and flora as both motivation and evidence for urgent conservation efforts.

Located in the southern part of Oaxaca state on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec — Mexico’s narrowest strip of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico — Guiengola is known for its ancient Zapotec ruins and unique landscapes.

a wildcat in Buiuelgola — Among the wildlife in the Guiengola region are wildcats, chachalacas and coati. (Screenshot)

It was a sprawling enclave before being abandoned shortly before the Spanish conquest in 1521.

In recent weeks, 23-year-old biologist Eduardo Nicolás Michi Bautista has deployed camera traps across more than 300 hectares to document local fauna and promote awareness in nearby communities.

The devices have captured video of coatis, rabbits, squirrels and ocelots, plus a variety of birdlife including owls, doves, chachalacas and magpies.

A coati is a playful, diurnal creature said to look like a cross between a raccoon, a monkey and an anteater; an ocelot is a small- to medium-sized wildcat with a distinct spotted coat; a chachalaca is a social, noisily chattering bird that usually travels in groups of six to 12.

“If this area is declared a protected area, all these species will also be under that protection,” said Michi Bautista, who is affiliated with Benito Juárez Autonomous University of Oaxaca. Press and social media reports do not indicate if he is a student or on staff.

His monitoring initiative aims to spark conservation action and inspire local support for Guiengola.

This push comes amid ongoing legal and civil efforts to safeguard the archaeological zone from threats like urbanization and unauthorized land sales, as well as calls to clarify and strengthen its legal protection.

Archaeologists and explorers have known of the area since the 1800s, but its significance as a major Zapotec city has only recently emerged due to new technology. Before, it was regarded as simply a fortress or defensive outpost.

While activists have appealed to, first, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), and, then, the nation’s courts to officially decree the site as a cultural and environmental asset, Michi Bautista’s team is focusing on scientific documentation and grassroots partnerships with ecotourism guides.

The tough-to-reach area is about 14 kilometers from Tehuantepec, a municipality of 67,000.

“With a wildlife monitoring project on our enigmatic Guiengola Hill, we will be able to implement actions for its conservation,” the municipality posted on Facebook. “It is a source of pride to have this initiative by young biologist Eduardo Michi Bautista, a Tehuano” (a person from Tehuantepec).

“This is just getting started,” Michi Bautista added.

With reports from Reuters, ADN 40, Excélsior and N+