Many irregular Chinese migrants enter Mexico on their way to the U.S. (Shutterstock)
As I travel around the country, I am always intrigued by the motivations of people coming to Mexico to live. I have previously written about my experience as an immigrant to Mexico, including why I am thankful for living in my newly adopted country and what I miss or don’t miss about my native United States of America.
Of course, the flow of “snowbird” retiree immigrants coming to Mexico from the United States and Canada is nothing new. What is new — and the team at Mexico News Daily has written extensively about it — is the diversity of the more recent waves of immigrants coming here.
Digital nomads, artists, younger couples, families with children, corporate management expats, as well as people from a diverse mix of countries in South America, Europe, and even Asia are all increasingly common in cities and towns throughout the country.
What also seems to be new (or at least, far more common) are immigrants coming for very different reasons. In many parts of Mexico, a large percentage of people would say that one of their main reasons for coming here is the lower cost of living and/or much better weather than where they came from.
They most often did not cite motivations “for leaving” but rather more reasons “for coming.” Lately, I’ve found that the reasons “for leaving” are growing (some cite social reasons, healthcare costs and quality, political reasons, etc.) and the reasons given “for coming” are also growing. Some of these motivations include being drawn to the culture (music, art), the food, wanting to start a business, and to learn the language, to name a few.
Perhaps the most fascinating trend I am seeing is that of first- or second-generation Mexican-Americans moving to Mexico to live.
I am referring to children born in Mexico whose parents moved them to the U.S., or to children of parents who were born in Mexico and at some point moved to the U.S. They grew up in the United States but this diverse group of immigrants is moving back to every part of Mexico. They vary in terms of age, professions, socioeconomic status and motivations but they’ve all decided to come here in search of something better.
This is the inspiration behind a new upcoming MND series called “My American Dream is in Mexico.”
We will tell the stories of these immigrants, explore their diverse motivations, their journeys on both sides of the border, the reactions they received from family and friends upon making the decision, and compare and contrast their lives before and after the move.
We will learn about what has been exciting, surprising, fun and difficult for them in making the move. We will profile people from across the country, with very different backgrounds.
Throughout the world, the lives of immigrants are often oversimplified, misunderstood and stereotyped.
The reality is that each immigrant has his or her own complex motivations and emotions behind the decision to leave home. These stories will help us to better understand their hopes and dreams — and maybe even our own.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for over 27 years.
Bringing Fido to Los Cabos? Make sure you read this guide. (Freepik)
Los Cabos is a great place to bring a pet. Assuming, that is, your pet is a cat or a small to medium-sized dog. Finding a hotel that accepts your pets may be more difficult if they’re larger. If they’re exotic they might not be allowed in Mexico at all. But cats and dogs are welcome at many hotels and resorts, from budget variety to ultra-luxury.
For example, the most famously pampering pet-friendly accommodation in Los Cabos, Las Ventanas al Paraíso, is known for its luxury canine touches, which Luna or Max or the ironically named Fido will undoubtedly appreciate. These include dog butlers for daily walks, private doggie cabanas, dog massages, yoga classes — dubbed “doga” as a portmanteau of dog and yoga — and special meals prepared by chefs and served in bejeweled dishes. Pet-friendly amenities are also notable at all-inclusive Hard Rock Los Cabos, thanks to “Unleashed” program highlights like welcome treats and memory foam pet beds.
Getting away from it all doesn’t have to mean leaving your pets behind. (Shutterstock)
That’s not even to mention the abundant beaches to run and chase tennis balls. But first, you have to get your pets here. Then, there is the issue of getting them back into the U.S. That’s of particular interest based on recent changes to Center for Disease Control and Prevention regulations.
CDC announces new rules for traveling with pets
The new CDC rules for pets went into effect on August 1, 2024, and the good news for pet owners is that they don’t make it much harder to return from designated “low-risk” dog rabies countries like Mexico. However, there’s now a long list of over 100 countries — from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe — that are considered “high-risk” and if your pet has been in any of them during the preceding six months he or she will need additional documentation, including proof of rabies vaccination, to be allowed entry.
But if you’ve only been traveling in Mexico, simply answer “no” to the high-risk question on the new CDC Dog Import Form. It’s mandatory but free and easy to fill out — as seen here — and must be presented before boarding the return aircraft and at customs. If you’re traveling with more than one dog they’ll each need their own form, either printed or saved on your cellphone.
When bringing your pet into Mexico, you’ll need to sure it has all its paperwork in order first. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)
You’ll also need to ensure your dog is at least six months old, in good health, and with a universal microchip for identification purposes, if one hasn’t already been implanted. The term universal means the chip can be read by scanners worldwide using the International Standards Organization frequency of 134.2 kHz. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, your local veterinarian should be able to implant the chip. It requires an injection under your dog’s skin — the microchip is about the size of a grain of rice — and no, it won’t cause your dog undue pain or distress. At least no more pain than a typical vaccination shot, anyway. Ask your vet about the cost of the chip and subsequent registration.
As for cats, rabies vaccinations are a recommendation but not a requirement. The same applies to microchips. Import forms aren’t necessary either. The only real requirement for cats is that they’re healthy when reentering the U.S. If upon inspection it’s determined that they may not be, you’ll have to pay for a veterinary examination.
Special airline requirements for pets
The CDC regulations are for reentry. To fly to Los Cabos in the first place, you’ll need to check the policies and requirements of your airline of choice. These vary, as do their respective pet fares. American Airlines won’t accept certain breeds of snub-nosed (brachycephalic) cats and dogs because of possible respiratory issues during transport. These include Persian cats and popular dog breeds like Boston Terrier, Bulldog, Pekingese, Pit Bull, and Shih Tzu. There also may be restrictions based on destination. Southwest Airlines, for instance, doesn’t allow pets on international flights.
Size specifications for hard-sided pet carriers vary from airline to airline – here are United’s requirement for pet carriers. (United Airlines)
Many airlines will allow pets to be carried onto planes, assuming their carrier meets size requirements and can be stowed under seats. If you have two pets of the same breed that can fit in the same carrier, that may also be permitted. However, which seats you’re able to book may change. If you’re flying Delta, you won’t be able to sit behind bulkheads or in emergency rows.
What to know when arriving with pets in Mexico
Visitors with pets from the U.S. and Canada are not required to present vaccination cards or a certificate of good health. However, the pets will be inspected on arrival.
Exotic animals and some that may not be so exotic are explicitly denied entry. You probably suspected that crocodiles weren’t permitted to be brought to Mexico as pets — or chupacabras and snakes either — and that is indeed the case. But you may not have known that birds of all kinds, from parakeets and cockatiels to canaries and parrots, also aren’t welcome at Los Cabos International Airport.
But there’s no quarantine period and nothing to worry about with cats and dogs provided they’re in good health— and you likely wouldn’t have traveled with them if they weren’t.
Pet cabanas offer Fa chance for outdoor rest and relaxation alongside you while you unwind on the beach. (Las Ventanas al Paraíso)
Finding pet-friendly accomodations in Los Cabos
Numerous hotels and resorts in Los Cabos are pet-friendly and several boast pet-focused programs and amenities. But there are almost always limits. For example, Las Ventanas al Paraíso and Hard Rock Los Cabos, two exemplary pet-friendly local lodgings, have stated weight limits. It’s 40 pounds for the former and 50 for the latter. There may also be leash requirements and designated areas of the resort where pets are allowed. Check the property’s pet policy before booking to ensure yours is welcome.
Additional costs should be expected and will vary according to where you’re staying. Pets are charged for accommodations just like people are. The difference is that people almost always pay by the night, while pet rates may be charged by the night, week, or per stay. You may also be asked to sign a pet agreement regarding the hotel rules during check-in.
Many local bars and restaurants will also welcome pets, so long as they’re well-behaved. As to running and playing on local beaches, there is one factor to note: Los Cabos has more blue flag beaches than any municipality in Mexico, and these beaches only allow service animals, not pets. However, that still leaves dozens of popular beaches and areas where pets can fully enjoy their vacation, just like their owners.
Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook, and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.
Prepare the "jajaing" muscles for a run out, it's time for our Saturday memes!
Hello, my friends! If you’ve been sitting around wondering when you’d get to see a great Mexican meme roundup again — at least one that is translated and explained — you’re in luck. Today’s the day!
I’ve got some good ones for you after spending way too many hours searching far and wide for them. Do y’all think “meme curator” could become a job one day? If it does, let this serve as evidence that I am already experienced. And if it doesn’t, well, I’d do it for free anyway because there are few nicer things to share in life than a laugh. [Editors note: Thanks, I’ve passed this on to payroll]. Enjoy!
Meme translation: “Steps for having a Mexican Night:”
“Be in Mexico”
“At night”
What does it meme? When people say “noche mexicana,” they’re referring to the celebration of Mexican Independence on the night of Sept. 15th. In cities and towns all over the country, “el grito” – the scene of the highest government official available shouting “Viva!” from the community’s most important government building’s balcony – is the main event.
The fact that this is simply called a “Mexican Night,” of course, lends itself to jokes. Just be a Mexican at night. Ta-da!
Meme translation: “I’m not going… I’m not going… I’m not going…
How long are you going to be there? To see if I can drop by.”
What does it meme? This is a popular format, especially for Mexicans, who are famous for talking a lot about possibly, almost surely, joining in on some social activity they’ve been invited to, and then not actually going.
If this happens to you, just remember: to them, it feels about 80% less rude than it does to you.
Meme translation: “Her: You smell so good. What soap do you use?
(on box) Soap for the Pampered Dog.
Prevents…”
What does it meme? This is one of my favorite memes of the bunch, and I keep cracking up at it even though I’ve looked at it over a dozen times now. Especially the “Prevents…” – presumably it says something like “fleas and ticks” – just kills me!
Meme translation: “How I thought I’d look as a nahual.”
“How I wound up looking.”
What does it meme? I’ve talked about the various aspects of magical thinking, including the famed nahuales, before.
In case you need a refresher, the basic gist is this: some people, during the night, turn into animals and run around making mischief. They’re often blamed for things like dead livestock and pets or destroyed gardens. For those who are hardcore believers, evidence will often be found in their investigations to figure out who among them may be nahuales: perhaps a farmer managed to cut the front-left paw of a giant boar, and now a neighbor has his left hand bandaged.
As for me, I cannot get enough of these stories. No one’s ever talked about one wearing clothes, though.
Meme translation: “If I were corrupt, could I do this?”
What does it meme? This is another one that has me cracking up every time I look at it.
The police in Mexico, unfortunately, are not known for their honesty, making me think that the effort to fix our justice system should perhaps start with the people on the ground rather than the judges. This isn’t the first time or place that municipal police forces have been fired or detained, after all.
Their corruption is such an open secret that it’s almost comical. Almost.
Prosecutors are also asking for a $5 million fine against García Luna, who they said offered a fellow inmate millions of dollars last year in exchange for false testimony. (Octavio Hoyos/Shutterstock)
The United States government is seeking a sentence of life imprisonment for Mexico’s former federal security minister Genaro García Luna, who was convicted in 2023 on charges of colluding with the Sinaloa Cartel.
In February 2023, García Luna — security minister during the 2006-12 government led by former president Felipe Calderón — was found guilty of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise; international cocaine distribution conspiracy; cocaine distribution and possession conspiracy; cocaine importation conspiracy; and making a false statement on an application for U.S. citizenship.
García Luna served as federal security minister during the Calderón administration, a position that allowed him to become an incredibly powerful ally to drug traffickers. (File photo)
Jurors at a U.S. federal court in Brooklyn voted unanimously to convict García Luna on charges he took multimillion-dollar bribes from the Sinaloa Cartel, which was founded by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García and others in the 1980s.
The former federal official, who was head of the now-defunct Federal Investigation Agency before becoming security minister, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 9. He was arrested in Texas in 2019.
In a letter to United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, wrote that García Luna was “the chief law enforcement officer of Mexico for over a decade, responsible for overseeing the country’s federal police and anti-narcotics efforts.”
“But, as proven at trial, the defendant exploited his power and authority by accepting millions of dollars in bribes from a drug trafficking organization he swore to pursue. In exchange for millions of dollars, the defendant furthered a conspiracy responsible for the deaths of thousands of American and Mexican citizens,” he wrote.
Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, wrote to the district judge to request a life sentence for García Luna. (U.S. Justice Dept.)
Peace said it was “difficult to overstate the magnitude of the defendant’s crimes, the deaths and addiction he facilitated, and his betrayal of the people of Mexico and the United States.”
He also said that “his crimes demand justice.”
“For these reasons, and the reasons set forth below, the government respectfully requests that the Court impose a sentence of life imprisonment,” wrote Peace.
“… A sentence of life imprisonment will … send a critically needed signal that there are serious consequences for accepting bribes from and providing assistance to the cartels,” the U.S. attorney said.
García Luna’s sentencing hearing is set for Oct. 9. (Tercero Díaz/Cuartoscuro)
He also said that “the Court should impose a substantial fine of at least $5 million” on García Luna.
“As discussed above, the Cartel paid bribes to the defendant worth millions of dollars. The defendant also continued to have access to the wealth amassed from his corrupt time in office. As recent as last year, the defendant offered an inmate at the MDC millions of dollars in exchange for false testimony,” Peace wrote referring to a prisoner at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
On page seven of the nine-page letter, the U.S. attorney said that “day after day, the defendant lied to and betrayed his fellow officials, American law enforcement, and the Mexican public.”
“The defendant lied when he said he was fighting the drug cartels, despite serving as their critical ally. The defendant lied again when he immigrated to the United States, fraudulently concealing his criminal conduct. And, undeterred by his conviction, the defendant also lied to this Court when he submitted a motion for a new trial based on a perjurious affidavit that was the product of the defendant’s corrupt scheme to obstruct justice,” Peace wrote.
“I was repeatedly offered a deal with the New York Attorney’s Office to charge me with crimes related to drug trafficking in exchange for being detained for a short time (6 months) and receive financial benefits…” pic.twitter.com/len3x4YMXn
Despite the accusation against him — which he denied — López Obrador said Friday that he had no ill will toward the former security minister.
“I don’t like anybody to suffer,” he said at his morning press conference after he was asked about the United States government’s request for a sentence of life imprisonment for García Luna.
“I don’t wish ill upon anyone,” López Obrador said.
The attack left at least 30 bullet holes in the windshield and rear passenger window of the victim's vehicle. (Video still/X)
A municipal police officer in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, was murdered on Thursday morning and the assassins are still at large.
Deputy Inspector Jesús Eduardo Paredes Galindo and a female detective were riding in a Chevrolet Trax when their SUV was cut off by an unidentified vehicle, forcing the Trax to come to a stop.
At least one armed man stepped out of the car, approached the SUV and opened fire directly at Paredes in the driver’s seat. Paredes was pronounced dead at the scene, while the woman was treated for minor wounds from the shattered glass.
The gunmen apparently had automatic weapons as the local newspaper Noroeste reported that after the brief attack there were at least 30 bullet holes in the windshield and the rear passenger side window was shattered.
Although police and soldiers were on site within minutes, the culprits escaped.
Paredes, a long-serving member of the Mazatlán police force, had steadily moved up the ranks, serving as chief operating officer from 2012-2015. According to the local newspaper Los Noticieristas, Paredes resigned in 2015 after a scandal in which two municipal officers were accused of killing two soldiers. He rejoined the force in 2018. Paredes was on paid leave when he was killed.
According to the newspaper El Universal, Paredes was viewed as a top candidate to take over as police chief once Mayor-elect Estrella Palacios Domínguez was sworn in on Nov. 1.
There has been mounting violence in the state of Sinaloa this month after war broke out between two rival factions of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel. However, the violence has been mostly restricted to the state capital of Culiacán about 216 kilometers to the north of Mazatlán.
As of Thursday morning, there had been 48 murders in Culiacán since the fighting started on Sept. 9, according to the newspaper Puente Libre.
Thursday’s murder in the resort town of Mazatlán occurred near the Universidad del Pacífico Norte campus about 4 kilometers from the iconic Malecón de Mazatlán, described by local hotels as the longest seaside esplanade in Mexico.
The crime scene was still locked down on Friday as investigators looked for clues. Soldiers and local police authorities were heavily armed, and Noroeste reported that one group of soldiers wielded an anti-tank weapon. Security forces spent Thursday night scouring the neighborhood and possible escape routes, but came up empty-handed.
The former beauty queen and wife of notorious drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán is working with designer April Black Diamond on her runway show in Milan. (April Black Diamond/Instagram)
The 35-year-old wife of imprisoned drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is going to be a model at Milan Fashion Week in Italy on Sunday — one year after her own release from prison in Los Angeles.
Emma Coronel Aispuro is set to sashay down the catwalk as the main model for international designer April Black Diamond. The show will take place at the elegant Palazzo Serbelloni, where Napoleon Bonaparte resided for a few months in 1796.
Designer April Black Diamond described Emma Coronel as an “extraordinary woman” and said “everyone deserves a second chance.” (April Black Diamond/Instagram)
The California-born Coronel was a beauty queen when she met Guzmán, 32 years her senior. They married in 2007, when she was 18, and they have twin daughters who were born in Los Angeles in 2011.
After the former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel was sentenced in New York to life in prison plus 30 years on July 17, 2019, Coronel herself was convicted in the U.S. and sentenced to three years in prison.
The dual U.S.-Mexico citizen pleaded guilty to three counts of helping her husband’s cartel: conspiracy to launder money and distribute illegal drugs, and engaging in financial dealings. She also admitted to being a courier between Guzmán and cartel members while he was in Mexico’s Altiplano prison after a 2014 arrest.
Her sentencing judge said Coronel had quickly accepted responsibility and agreed to forfeit nearly US $1.5 million of proceeds from her criminal activity to the U.S. government, and her three-year sentence was later reduced.
Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Guzmán was extradited to the U.S. in 2017. (Cuartoscuro)
She was released from a low-security institution in Los Angeles on Sept. 13, 2023, after serving two and a half years.
Since then, she has reportedly devoted herself to modeling, and also appeared in a music video last year. The video was for “La Señora,” a corrido sung by Mariel Colón Miró that is inspired by the story of Coronel’s life.
Not only are Colón and Coronel close friends, but Colón was one of the lawyers who defended Guzmán when he was facing charges in New York. She is slated to appear on the catwalk in Milan, as well.
Coronel’s Milan gig — which caught her thousands of social media followers by surprise — was revealed last weekend in an Instagram post by April Black Diamond, often categorized as a designer whose clothes are bold, edgy, provocative and elegant.
Coronel (right) also recently appeared in a music video by Mariel Colón, a singer and one of Guzmán’s lawyers. (Mariellaabogada/Instagram)
“Not only will Emma be gracing us with her presence, but she has also been chosen to open and close the highly anticipated [show],” the designer wrote on the post featuring Coronel in a wedding dress.
“Everyone deserves a second chance,” she wrote in an additional post explaining why she chose Coronel.
“That’s why I made the bold decision to hire an extraordinary woman as my main model, a woman who, despite a past marked by controversy, has chosen to rewrite her future,” she wrote. “She is not just a model for our dresses, she is an example of strength, courage and hope. Her journey from a troubled past to a promising future embodies the message I want to convey with this collection: it is never too late to change your life, and every woman deserves the chance to walk with pride and confidence, no matter where she comes from.”
Coronel reportedly has not seen her husband for five years, since his sentence allows him to see only his lawyers.
However, she still loves “El Chapo,” according to what she said recently on the Univision show “Despierta América.” When questioned on the topic, Coronel replied, “Love will always continue, of course, of course.”
Milan Fashion Week, one of the industry’s marquee events, concludes on Monday. It will be immediately followed by Paris Fashion Week through Oct. 1.
Vidal Lleneras, a former federal deputy for the Morena party, will serve as deputy economy minister in the Sheinbaum administration. (via Al Momento)
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico could increase by US $3-4 billion each year during the six-year term of incoming president Claudia Sheinbaum, according to a soon-to-be deputy economy minister.
Vidal Llerenas, who was granted leave from his position as a federal deputy to join Sheinbaum’s team as deputy economy minister for industry and commerce, made the prediction in Mérida, Yucatán, at the 49th National Convention of the National Council of the Maquiladora and Export Manufacturing Industry (INDEX).
FDI would increase by US $18-24 billion over current levels in 2030 if his prediction comes true.
Chinese automaker Chirey is one company that has been looking into sites for a new auto manufacturing plant in Mexico. (Chirey Río San Joaquin)
“The Mexican economy must take advantage of the relocation of investment from Asia,” Llerenas said, adding that Mexico could add an additional percentage point to its annual GDP growth rate if it seizes the opportunity.
She will take office as Mexico’s first female president on Oct. 1.
Ebrard: Sheinbaum to explain judicial reform to big investors
Soon-to-be economy minister Marcelo Ebrard said Thursday that Sheinbaum will meet with representatives of 45 large companies at the U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue, an annual meeting that will take place on Oct. 15.
Ebrard, who competed against Sheinbaum for the ruling Morena party’s presidential nomination, said that the future president will tell Mexican and U.S. executives that their current and future investments in Mexico will be respected during her six-year term.
She will explain “how the judicial reform will work,” he added.
Future Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the president-elect would meet with company representatives to reassure them that judicial reform does not present a risk their businesses. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
“What Mexicans have to do is speak well of our country, attract investment, tell [investors] they have security here,” the former foreign minister said after a meeting with Sheinbaum.
“We’re going to respect their investments,” he stressed.
Ebrard said that other issues including energy and infrastructure will be part of a “direct dialogue” between Sheinbaum and the U.S. and Mexican business community.
He said that federal officials will point out that judicial elections have been held in the United States for years — albeit not for Supreme Court justices and other federal judges.
“Of course we’ve taken into account the experiences they’ve had there,” Ebrard said.
At the event in Mérida, INDEX chief Humberto Martínez Cantú said that the meeting between Sheinbaum and CEOs next month will give confidence and certainty to investors.
In a post to social media, Ebrard predicted that the meeting will be a “success.”
“There is enormous interest in our country from U.S. companies,” he said.
El Piyi was arrested on Thursday then quickly transferred to Mexico City. (via Ríodoce)
Federal forces on Thursday arrested “El Piyi,” an alleged security chief for the “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. His capture deals a significant blow to the criminal group as it engages in a fierce battle with the “Los Mayos” faction of the same cartel.
Mario Alexander Gámez Cuevas, known as “El Piyi,” was detained in Culiacán, Sinaloa, during an operation carried out by the army and National Guard. He was subsequently transferred to Mexico City.
At least five other alleged Sinaloa Cartel gunmen who were traveling with Gámez in a convoy of vehicles in the north of Culiacán were also detained, according to reports.
El Piyi is allegedly a close collaborator of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, one of the sons of convicted drug trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Guzmán Salazar is a leader of the “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel along with his brother Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar.
His two half-brothers, Joaquín Guzmán López and Ovidio Guzmán López, are in custody in the United States.
El Piyi was known for constantly using a balaclava to hide his identity. (Luis Chaparro/X)
Before his arrest, he reportedly worked closely with Jorge Humberto Figueroa, another alleged security chief for “Los Chapitos.”
El Piyi is believed to have been playing a key role in the conflict between “Los Chapitos” and “Los Mayos” that has intensified in recent weeks as the latter faction seeks revenge for the arrest of alleged Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García. Zambada alleges he was kidnapped by Joaquín Guzmán López and forced onto a private plane that delivered him to U.S. law enforcement authorities in late July.
Dozens of people have been killed in what has been described as a “war” between the rival cartel factions. More murders occurred in Culiacán on Thursday.
El Piyi shared photos of luxury cars, watches and plane flights on his Instagram, but never posted images of himself. (@el.piyi/Instagram)
Gámez reportedly kept a low profile in an attempt to avoid identification and arrest. His face was rarely seen, the Milenio newspaper reported, because he always used a balaclava.
However, El Piyi became known through songs recorded by Peso Pluma and other artists who make music that fits into the corridos tumbados subgenre of regional Mexican music.
Through such songs, “the identity and personality” of Gámez was revealed “little by little,” federal sources told Milenio.
The songs mention his “different exploits” and “confrontations against the government and opposing groups,” the sources said.
According to Milenio, Gámez also “won notoriety” because he took part in the two so-called culiacanzos — the violent cartel responses to the capture of Ovidio Guzmán in 2019 and again in 2023.
The alleged cartel security chief reportedly kept three lion clubs as pets and recently traveled to the United Arab Emirates, where he drove buggies in the desert and posed for a photo with a falcon on his head.
Father Baxin of Santa Ana church in Soconusco, Veracruz, stood in the back of a pick-up truck sprinkling holy water along federal Highway 180. (Parroquia Santa Ana Soconusco/Facebook)
One month after two separate single-car accidents on a Veracruz highway claimed the lives of six people and left two children severely injured, a local priest blessed a stretch of that highway with holy water.
Father Ramiro Baxin Ixtepan, the parish priest at the church of Santa Ana in Soconusco, conducted the unorthodox ceremony in the company of a handful of parishioners and Alma Leticia Borquez de Baruch, president of the local DIF social assistance program.
The priest prayed that all those who travel on the highway “may overcome life’s difficulties, realize their dreams and arrive happily at their destination.” (Parroquia Santa Ana Soconusco/Facebook)
The priest began the rite by saying a prayer at the arch that marks the entrance to Soconusco from federal Highway 180, praying for fewer accidents.
Municipal police controlled traffic on the trans-isthmus highway between the southern Veracruz cities of Acayucan and Jáltipan while Father Baxin stood in the back of a pick-up truck sprinkling holy water along the road.
The priest then got out of the vehicle at the site of the two accidents and, after dipping the rosemary sprigs in the bucket of holy water, blessed the road while leading the congregants in prayer.
According to the Facebook post published by the church, Father Baxin said the following: “With this sacramental blessing, we ask almighty God the Father that through his grace he guides all those who traverse this highway such that with his protection they may overcome life’s difficulties, realize their dreams and arrive happily at their destination.”
Father Baxin blessed the stretch of highway between the southern Veracruz cities of Acayucan and Jáltipan. (Parroquia Santa Ana Soconusco/Facebook)
Responses to the Facebook post demonstrated support for the blessing ceremony, with several users suggesting other highways that could be blessed as well. Others suggested that in addition to the blessing, it would be helpful if the highway was repaved.
The radio station W Radio reported on its website that many attendees were hopeful that the blessing would provide greater protection to those traveling on this stretch of the highway.
The municipal authorities of Soconusco also issued an advisory to the public, calling on motorists to obey the posted speed limit.
According to the Catholic Church, holy water can be used to bless people, places and things that are used by humans in their goal of glorifying God with their lives. The practice is meant to visibly represent God’s sanctifying work in all parts of people’s lives.
The incorporation of the National Guard into the military (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)
Lawmakers in Mexico’s lower house of Congress approved on Thursday a constitutional reform bill that seeks to place the National Guard (GN) under military control.
The bill will now be considered by the Senate, where the ruling Morena party and its allies are in a strong position to pass the reform proposal.
Mexico’s lower house of Congress approved on Thursday a constitutional reform bill that seeks to place the National Guard (GN) under military control. (Andrea Murcía/Cuartoscuro)
After a debate that lasted 16 hours, 362 deputies voted in favor of the GN reform proposal while 133 opposed it.
The two-thirds majority required to approve constitutional bills (334 votes) was easily reached.
A supermajority of deputies also approved the bill en lo particular — i.e. after the consideration of its individual articles.
The most controversial aspect of the bill is the provision to place the GN under the control of the National Defense Ministry (Sedena).
However, the bill seeks to modify a total of 12 articles of the Mexican Constitution. Among its aims are to define the GN as a professional public security force that is part of the military but whose members have police training, and to empower it to conduct investigations under the direction of the Federal Attorney General’s Office.
The GN was created by the current federal government as a civilian security force. It effectively replaced the Federal Police, which was disbanded in 2019.
In late 2022, the Congress approved a bill backed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador that modified four secondary laws and paved the way for the GN to be placed under the control of the army.
However, the Supreme Court ruled in April 2023 that the transfer of control over the National Guard from the civilian Security Ministry to Sedena was unconstitutional, a decision that angered the president.
President López Obrador has relied heavily on the military, using it for public security, infrastructure construction and a wide range of other tasks. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
López Obrador, who argues that the National Guard needs to be under the control of the military to prevent corruption and guarantee the force’s professionalism, subsequently prepared a constitutional bill to once again give Sedena responsibility for the security force his administration created.
Opposition parties, government critics and some human rights organizations pointed to the transfer of control over the National Guard to the army in 2022 as another example of the militarization of Mexico that they say has occurred during the current government. Human Rights Watch has warned that the government’s militarized security policy risks facilitating abuses by security forces while failing to reduce violent crime.
Morena, the Labor Party (PT) and the Ecological Green Party of Mexico (PVEM) have a two-thirds majority in the Chamber of Deputies, allowing them to pass constitutional bills without the support of opposition lawmakers.
The allied parties are just one vote short of a supermajority in the Senate, but it appears likely that they will be able to reach the required threshold to pass the GN reform, as was the case last week with the controversial judicial reform proposal, which is now law.
Deputy Leonel Godoy, Morena’s deputy leader in the Chamber of Deputies, said that the constitutional bill makes it clear that the National Guard will have “military discipline” but a “police function.”
He stressed that any military personnel who become members of the GN “have the obligation” to first undergo police training.
Morena Deputy Dolores Padierna Luna asserted that the reform proposal will lead to the “rebirth of the National Guard as an institution of military origin,” while PT Deputy Pedro Vázquez said that the bill will enable the security force to pacify the country.
Opposition lawmakers are concerned that the transfer of the National Guard to the military will only result in more violence. (Andrea Murcía/Cuartoscuro)
Opposition lawmakers argued that the transfer of responsibility for the GN to Sedena would only increase the militarization of Mexico.
National Action Party (PAN) Deputy Germán Martínez Cázares railed against President López Obrador, who has relied heavily on the military, using it for public security, infrastructure construction and a wide range of other tasks.
“No to militarization,” he said, adding that López Obrador has failed to bring peace to Mexico “as he promised.”
Martínez pointed out that there have been more murders during the current six-year term of government than during the presidencies of Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-18) and Felipe Calderón (2006-12).
López Obrador’s presidency has been “a six-year period of death, a six-year period of blood and a six-year period of militarization,” he said.
PAN Deputies Agustín Rodríguez and Miguel Ángel Monraz, and other opposition deputies, questioned why Morena lawmakers supported the militarization of public security now when they previously opposed it.
Before becoming president, López Obrador himself was opposed to the use of the armed forces for public security tasks.
“What a short memory [they have]” said Monraz.
Citizens Movement (MC) party deputies unfurled a giant banner in the Chamber of Deputies that read: “Mexico with justice and peace. No to militarization.”
They also placed signs on their seats that read: “We want peace, not militarization.”
