Mexico’s safest state? Chiapas, security watchdog says

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June 1, 2018

High-impact crime, first quarter of this year. Green is best, dark red is worst and yellow is in between.

Chiapas has edged out Yucatán to become Mexico’s safest state, according to Semáforo Delictivo, a citizens’ security watchdog.

The organization’s ranking system is based on an analysis of each state’s crime rates compared to national and historic averages and assigns them a color — green, yellow or red. Green signifies that rates are within the objectives or that security strategies are functioning while red means rates are worse than the average and strategies are not functioning. Yellow is somewhere in between the two.

Chiapas was one of three states — the others were Yucatán and Durango — that did not have any red indicators in the latest quarterly ranking.

The report gave the state green indicators in homicide, kidnapping, extortion, low-scale drug trafficking, vehicle theft, home and business robbery, assault and femicide.

It was the first time Chiapas has been ranked as Mexico’s safest state, beating out Yucatán.

For three high-impact crimes — vehicle theft and home and business robbery — Chiapas ranked substantially below the national average.

Chiapas’ homicide rate was 2.6 per 100,000 inhabitants, well below the national average of 5.3. Colima, on the other hand, was the worst at 21.3 per 100,000.

Semáforo Delictivo indicators showed that Guerrero, Colima, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Zacatecas and Veracruz were the states with the highest incidence of high-impact crimes.

The data coincides with other recent reports by non-governmental and official agencies including Observatorio Nacional Ciudadano, INEGI, the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System and the Institute for Economy and Peace.

Source: El Heraldo de Chiapas (sp), La Razón (sp)

NAFTA on the ropes? Not exactly but the outlook is not good

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MND Staff

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June 1, 2018

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Castañón: difficulties for NAFTA. — Castañón: 'serious difficulties' for NAFTA.

The United States’ announcement yesterday of new metal tariffs on key trade partners Mexico and Canada didn’t deliver a knockout blow to an updated trade agreement but it certainly made negotiations more complicated than they were.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the move to impose duties of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum, but both also renewed their commitment to what the Canadian Press described as “the bare-knuckled NAFTA renegotiation” process.

The importance of the North American Free Trade Agreement to both countries meant that they couldn’t afford to be deterred despite heavy-handed tactics by the U.S., the news agency said.

Peña Nieto’s office issued a statement to say that the president held a telephone conversation with his Canadian counterpart yesterday, during which the two leaders expressed their disappointment with the tariff decision and discussed retaliatory measures. But they also reiterated their commitment to achieving a successful modernization of NAFTA.

Trudeau’s office released a similar statement affirming that the leaders “agreed to continue working toward a mutually beneficial [NAFTA] outcome.”

But United States President Donald Trump doesn’t appear to be on the same page.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the decision to impose the tariffs was based on a lack of progress in NAFTA talks, although he added that neither the U.S. measures nor Mexico and Canada’s retaliatory measures would affect the ability to continue negotiating a new trilateral treaty.

The president of Mexico’s influential Business Coordinating Council (CCE) has a different view.

In a television interview, Juan Pablo Castañón said Trump’s decision to impose new protectionist measures on its North American trade partners and the consequent imposition of tit-for-tat tariffs have placed NAFTA negotiations “in serious difficulties.”

In Canada, Jean Simard, president of the Canadian Aluminum Association, advocated terminating negotiations altogether, saying “it’s hard to imagine how you negotiate with a knife to your throat.”

Castañón added that he supported the government’s decision to impose reciprocal measures because Mexico “cannot remain silent in the face of this kind of attack” considering that the two countries are trade partners and in the middle of a negotiation process.

He didn’t rule out Mexico modifying the list of United States products that will be subject to tariffs but clarified that any such move would only come in response to U.S. aggression because Mexico’s strategy is to respond rather than strike first.

The business leader charged it would be “very difficult” to reach a new agreement before the July 1 elections but said it may be possible to do so between then and the United States midterm elections in November.

However, leading American trade lawyer Dan Ujczo said the window for serious NAFTA negotiations has closed for 2018 due to the electoral processes in both countries.

Mexico’s central bank is also pessimistic about reaching a new NAFTA deal this year, warning that talks could drag on until 2019 and consequently impact “even more” on investment and public and private spending.

That assessment, gleaned from the minutes of a Bank of México meeting held before the new tariffs were announced, acknowledged that talks have continued to stall despite repeated indications from leaders and officials in all three NAFTA countries that a deal was close.

A proposed meeting between Trump, Trudeau and Peña Nieto this week that could have potentially led to the signing of an agreement in principle was cancelled because the United States insisted that the Canadian prime minister first agree to a so-called sunset clause.

Trudeau told reporters yesterday that he thought the three countries were “quite close to reaching an agreement and perhaps the time had come” for the three leaders to sit down in Washington to finalize the NAFTA deal.

“We already had the bones of a very good agreement for all parties, and I thought it might be opportune for all of us to sit down for a few hours and discuss it,” the prime minister said, adding that Trump appeared to like the idea.

But Trudeau said he received a call from U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence Tuesday saying that the White House was happy to host the proposed summit but only on the condition that Trudeau — and presumably Peña Nieto — agreed to the provision that would see NAFTA automatically terminated after a five-year period if the three countries didn’t negotiate to renew it.

Trudeau said he had answered that “unfortunately, if that was a precondition to our visit, I was unable to accept.”

The sunset clause is one of a range of issues on which the three countries have been unable to reach a consensus.

Others include rules of origin and wages in the automotive sector, access to government procurement markets and a United States proposal to eliminate settlement dispute panels.

The Bank of México said the value of the peso against the US dollar is one of the variables that will suffer the most amid the continuing uncertainty surrounding the deal and that inflationary pressure could follow.

Some analysts said last month that the Mexican peso could trade at up to 22 to the US dollar before the presidential election.

Source: Milenio (sp), The Canadian Press (en), El Financiero (sp), El Sol del Centro (sp)

Federal Attorney General to investigate Nuevo Laredo disappearances

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César Hernández

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June 1, 2018

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Human rights committee poster asks the navy, 'Where did you leave our family members?'

The federal Attorney General’s office (PGR) has announced it will investigate the 23 forced disappearances in Tamaulipas that were revealed by a United Nations report.

But 16 may already have been located — in hidden graves.

The PGR’s announcement came the day after the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said it had documented the disappearance of 21 men and two women in Nuevo Laredo from February until May 16, and that there were “strong indications” that federal forces were responsible.

Yesterday, a local human rights group that claims there are more than just 23 people missing said the bodies of 16 people had been found in secret graves. The bodies showed signs of violence and each had a bullet wound in the head, said Raymundo Ramos, president of the Nuevo Laredo Human Rights Committee.

Ramos said his organization has documented 57 cases of people who have disappeared.

He said the search for more bodies will continue but with caution. Relatives of the disappeared have received threats after reporting the cases to authorities, Ramos said.

As part of the investigation, federal human rights specialists will travel to Nuevo Laredo to interview the relatives of the missing.

Family members have been protesting the disappearances in Nuevo Laredo in recent weeks, charging that authorities have done little to help find their loved ones. One protest closed a truck crossing on the border on May 21.

Source: Milenio (sp)

Gunmen assassinate Guerrero municipal candidate

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César Hernández

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June 1, 2018

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A young candidate for municipal office in Guerrero is the latest assassination victim in the current election season.

Rodrigo Salgado Agatón, 23, who was running for municipal council in San Marcos, was shot and killed yesterday in Acapulco.

The Institutional revolutionary Party (PRI) candidate was riding in a vehicle with campaign workers near the town of Plan de los Amates when they were attacked by armed civilians.

Salgado was the only person hit in the attack from the moving vehicle. He was rushed to a nearby clinic but died soon after.

Salgado was also regional coordinator for the senatorial campaign of Manuel Añorve Baños, former mayor of Acapulco.

The risk analysis firm Etellekt says there have been 177 attacks on politicians since the beginning of the electoral process in September. Of those, 103 have been fatal.

The process concludes in one month’s time when an estimated 89 million people will go to the polls to vote not only for president, but for state and federal deputies, senators and nine governors, along with municipal authorities. More than 3,400 positions are up for election.

Source: Infobae (sp)

Steelmakers estimate tariffs will cost US $2 billion annually

By

MND Staff

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June 1, 2018

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A coker plant operated by steelmaker Altos Hornos de México.

Mexican steelmakers estimate that the United States’ steel tariff will cost the domestic industry US $2 billion annually, and urged the government to take urgent reciprocal action.

The Mexican Iron and Steel Industry Chamber (Canacero) also expressed its “concern and disappointment” with the United States government’s decision to apply the 25% tariff, which it said made no sense and didn’t contribute to a constructive climate in the North American region.

Imposing equal measures on all U.S. steel “will harm more than benefit the United States industry” because the United States’ surplus with Mexico in the steel sector over the past two years is US $3.6 billion, the industry group said in a statement.

Canacero said the measures taken must apply “without exceptions” to the same products that the United States has imposed tariffs on and be set at the same rate.

“A lesser decision would be unacceptable,” the statement said.

Canacero challenged the justification for the tariffs, saying “Mexico does not represent, in any sense, a threat to the national security of the United States.”

It also called on the government to continue to seek an exemption from the tariff, citing Argentina, Brazil and South Korea as countries that have managed to reach agreements with the U.S. that have allowed them to avoid the hefty steel duty.

The chamber stressed that the steel market in North America is completely integrated and pointed out that 76% of United States exports of the metal go to Mexico and Canada.

To further protect the Mexican steel industry, Canacero said, the government must “stop the avalanche of steel imports” by imposing a 25% tariff on steel from countries that Mexico doesn’t have a trade agreement with and establishing quotas for nations that have signed a pact with Mexico.

“The Mexican government must be prepared to adopt appropriate and immediate measures . . . in order to avoid this problem resulting in the closure of companies and the loss of tens of thousands of jobs,” the statement concluded.

After the United States tariffs became known yesterday, Mexico struck back swiftly by announcing that it would “impose equivalent measures” on U.S. imports to Mexico including steel flats and pork.

The plan to tax the latter product rattled meat markets in the United States yesterday, causing meat producers’ shares to tumble and hog futures to slump.

News agency Bloomberg said that about 22% of U.S. pork is exported and Mexico is the largest customer by volume.

During times of record production of hams, Mexico has been a key importer and helped to support the value of pigs in the United States.

Dan Halstrom, the CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, told Bloomberg in an emailed statement that “it is especially frustrating to see U.S. pork caught up in a dispute that has nothing whatsoever to do with pork trade.”

“If these [pork] tariffs are implemented, they will negatively impact millions of consumers and thousands of people in the meat and livestock industries on both sides of the border.”

The United States steel and aluminum tariffs, which also apply to Canada and the European Union (EU) starting today, were condemned by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who called them “totally unacceptable,” while the leaders of Germany and France, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron, both labelled the tariffs “illegal.”

Mexico Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo described them as “completely incomprehensible.”

The four presidential candidates also weighed in on the protectionist measures.

Frontrunner Andrés Manuel López Obrador called on the Mexican government to respond firmly to the U.S. decision but warned against engaging in a trade war. He also said the government must try to reason with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking at a Morena party rally in Guanajuato, the third-time candidate said the United States’ move served as a wake-up call for Mexico to diversify its trade relationships, strengthen its internal market and not depend solely on trade with its northern neighbor.

Second-placed Ricardo Anaya, who trails López Obrador by 26 points in a recent Reforma poll, also said that Mexico needs to diversify its export markets, adding that it should turn to international multilateral organizations to resolve trade disputes with other countries.

He described the tariff as serious for the Mexican economy but said that if “we act intelligently and strategically, Mexican can [still] achieve a good NAFTA deal.”

Placing reciprocal tariffs on United States products in order to place pressure on the U.S. government could be part of reaching that deal, Anaya said.

Ruling party candidate José Antonio Meade said in a Twitter message that “Mexico won’t be played around with,” adding that the future of the region depended on respect, trade and understanding.

“. . . We will defend our jobs, our markets and our workers. Today and always,” Meade tweeted.

At an event in Nayarit, he described the government’s response as “clear and forceful.”

Independent candidate Jaime “El Bronco” Rodríguez said there was no need to be afraid about the United States’ decision and that Mexico must respond in the same way.

“. . . Every president should defend his country and here President Peña Nieto should have the support of all Mexicans in that sense . . .” he said.

Source: Milenio (sp), El Financiero (sp), Forbes (sp), Bloomberg (en), La Jornada (sp), Noticieros Televisa (sp)

Hot enough? Heat wave triggers emergency declarations in 22 states

By

MND Staff

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May 31, 2018

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A youngster enjoys the fountains at the Monument to the Revolution in Mexico City. xinhua

Temperatures have been soaring this week in Mexico, reaching as high as 47 C in two locations, and the heat wave continued across much of the country today.

The mercury hit 47 in Metztitlán, Hidalgo, and Huites, Sinaloa, yesterday, according to the National Meteorological Service (SMN), while it was 45 degrees or above in locations in Chihuahua, Michoacán, Guerrero and Jalisco.

Some relief may soon be on the way to some areas in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo, where the SMN has forecast electrical storms.

Yesterday’s heat wave led federal Civil Protection authorities to declare extraordinary emergency situations in 329 municipalities in 13 different states. The measure was later extended to include 573 municipalities in 22 states.

In Mexico City, where temperatures reached 31 yesterday, residents attempted to combat the heat in a variety of ways.

Shorts and miniskirts were the favored attire for many women, while businessmen and office workers rolled up their sleeves and removed their ties to seek relief.

Some capitalinos choose to visit one of the city’s hundreds of cantinas to quench their thirst and cool down — with mixed results.

“Not even a beer is enough to quell the heat,” 65-year-old pensioner Luis González told the newspaper El Universal as he fanned himself and mopped sweat from his brow with a handkerchief after he had downed a dark ale.

“The beer made me even thirstier, my mouth feels dry and my saliva’s heavy. That’s why I decided to order water, I hope that this will get rid of it [the heat],” he added, holding up his glass.

Other patrons are trying their luck with mojitos, a barman at another cantina said, explaining that along with beer it is the most popular beverage when the mercury starts to climb.

Yesterday's hot spots. — Yesterday’s hot spots.

Saúl López told El Universal that the number of customers has risen in recent days, seemingly indicating that many still believe drinking alcoholic beverages is a tried and tested remedy for the heat.

For children — and the young at heart — the fountains at the Monument to the Revolution or in the Alameda Central Park have been popular all week, with kids quick to remove their shoes and douse themselves — often fully-clothed — in the spurts of water.

For others, dealing with the heat hasn’t been quite so much fun.

In the city’s crowded subway system — where conditions can be uncomfortable even in times of more moderate weather —temperatures reached as high as 38 yesterday.

Commuters tried to cope as best they could by moving as close as possible to one of the ceiling fans in the carriages or buying a frozen paleta (popsicle). One man compared entering a train to going into a steam room.

His daughter Esperanza said “there’s nowhere to hide, it’s really hot and even though they put the fans on, it’s impossible to feel them . . .”

Source: El Universal (sp), Informador (sp), El Sol de México (sp)

Tariffs ‘incomprehensible,’ says economy secretary as trade war threatens

By

Tony Richards

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May 31, 2018

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US pork among products that will be affected by Mexican tariffs.

“It’s a sad day for international trade,” said the economy secretary today, describing the United States’ announcement of metal tariffs against its trade partners as “completely incomprehensible.”

Ildefonso Guajardo pointed out in an interview today that Mexico actually buys more U.S. steel than it exports to that country.

Although the U.S. has said the tariffs are being applied for national security reasons, the economy secretary argued that steel and aluminum are integral supplies in highly integrated strategic sectors of the North American economy, such as the automotive, aerospace, electric and electronic industries.

The tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Mexico, Canada and the European Union (EU), which had been granted a temporary exemption after they were announced two months ago, have now sparked fears of a full-scale trade war.

This morning, Mexico announced tariffs on U.S. goods in retaliation while the EU promised to do the same. European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker described the tariffs as “unjustified,” and said it would hit back with its own tariffs and take the issue to the World Trade Organization.

“This is protectionism, pure and simple,” he said.

The United Kingdom’s trade secretary said the tariffs were “patently absurd.”

In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who discussed the issue today with President Enrique Peña Nieto, announced tariffs of up to 25% on U.S. imports worth up to US $12.8 billion, the value of Canadian steel exports to the U.S. last year.

In Mexico, the economy secretary said care has been taken to impose retaliatory tariffs that will have an impact on regions of the U.S. with strong political influence. “They are products that have implications in some districts where there are important Representatives and Senators who have warned the Trump administration to be careful in its decision making . . . .” Guajardo said.

Among them are apples, pork bellies and flat steel.

His cabinet colleague Luis Videgaray, the secretary of foreign affairs, said Mexico “has its limits” but its position on various themes in which it cooperates with the U.S. will not change because of “offensive rhetoric or unjustified measures” such as the tariffs.

Nor will trade talks be affected, although Guajardo recognized there will be more tension at the table. Renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement will continue, he said, but he did not expect an agreement to be finalized before the July 1 presidential election. Last week he predicted there was a 40% chance of doing so.

One effect of today’s developments was further pressure on the peso, which fell to its weakest level in 15 months. The interbank rate dropped 0.93% to 19.91 pesos to the dollar, while banks were selling pesos for as much as 20.35 to the dollar.

The peso has dropped 6.4% in May, the biggest monthly decline since November 2016 after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election.

Source: The Guardian (en), Milenio (sp), Reforma (sp)

CORRECTION: The photo that originally appeared with this story showed not pork but beef steaks. The photo editor, by no means a vegetarian, regrets the error.

Self-defense leader released after evidence disputes navy report

By

MND Staff

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May 31, 2018

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Farías received a celebrity's welcome after his return to Tepalcatepec yesterday.

A federal judge ordered the release of a former self-defense leader yesterday just three days after he was arrested due to inconsistencies in the navy report on his capture.

José Farías Álvarez, known as El Abuelo (The Grandfather), was detained Sunday by marines in the municipality of Tepalcatepec, Michoacán, for alleged links to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Michoacán Governor Silvano Aureoles praised the capture and said Farías was a priority target in the state government’s security strategy.

According to the Navy Secretariat (Semar) report, Farías had been placed in a navy pickup truck after his arrest when a single Semar helicopter arrived to provide back-up. Armed civilians had begun firing at the navy vehicle in an attempt to free the man many consider to be a community leader rather than a criminal.

The helicopter returned fire to deter the attack, the navy said in its report, which was presented to the federal Attorney General’s office (PGR) as evidence.

But witness testimonies and video evidence presented during a hearing indicated that two helicopters — rather than one — participated in the capture operation and that they fired directly at the pick-up in which Farías had been traveling.

Following his detention, navy personnel set the vehicle alight.

Based on the evidence presented, the judge determined that Farías’ arrest did not occur in the manner the navy said it did and denied an application from the PGR for the case to proceed to trial.

El Abuelo returned to Tepalcatepec just before midday yesterday to a boisterous reception from local residents who days earlier had pressed for his release by erecting roadblocks.

In a later television interview with Imagen Noticias, Farías charged that there were further inaccuracies in the Semar report including the stated time at which he was arrested and an accusation that he had weapons and drugs in his possession.

He also claimed that he had been tortured by marines but said he would not take legal action against the navy.

While he was being tortured inside the navy vehicle, Farías said, personnel attempted to extract a confession from him about the whereabouts of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, Mexico’s most wanted drug lord and the boss of the cartel El Abuelo allegedly has links to.

Farías said he replied that he knew nothing about the capo because he hasn’t lived in Michoacán for several years.

The founder of the Tepalcatepec self-defense group also confirmed that two Semar helicopters had fired at the pickup truck he was traveling in with family members including his grandson, adding that the impact of the bullets caused his vehicle to break down.

Farías asserted he is not a criminal and called on the navy to concentrate its efforts on apprehending real criminals and not innocent people like him.

The navy has also come under suspicion in Tamaulipas, where relatives of at least 40 missing persons claim the navy was involved in their disappearance. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has echoed that suspicion.

Source: El Universal (sp), Excélsior (sp)

Events intended to position Mexico as surf capital of Latin America

By

César Hernández

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May 31, 2018

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Acapulco surfer Rey Hernández: eye on the Olympics.

A schedule of summer surf events is designed to position Mexico as the surf capital of Latin America, among other goals.

The Surf Open League, the sport’s governing body in Mexico, announced that the Pacific resort towns of Puerto Escondido, Acapulco and Ixtapa will each host a surfing event this summer.

It wants to promote Mexico’s surfing beaches internationally and encourage the sport in Mexico while at the same time help Mexican athletes, reactivate tourism and raise awareness about ocean conservation.

The surf season begins tomorrow in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, where the best 24 tube riders in the world, including seven Mexicans, will compete.

The Puerto Escondido Cup competition will run throughout June at Zicatela beach, where surfers will await the call of organizers who will monitor the wave heights and determine the moment when the competitions should take place.

The Surf Open Acapulco follows from July 20 to 22, an event sanctioned by the World Surf League, in which more than 100 athletes from 15 countries will be able to earn points toward their world ranking.

The third event will also be hosted in Guerrero: from August 31 to September 2, more than 80 professional surfers from around the country will meet for the third edition of the Loot Surf Open Ixtapa.

The decision to choose the three locations was “based on the waves,” said Gary Linden of the Open Surf League. “Zicatela beach is one of the best places for big-wave matches . . . Acapulco has good and smaller waves all year long.”

He also praised the people of the host towns, who have always shown their support for these types of events.

“We want to help the youth, they are our future, and we want Mexico to be the surf capital of Latin America,” he added. Linden also lamented the absence of surfer Óscar Moncada, killed last year in a traffic accident.

Rey Hernández, born and raised in Acapulco, will be one of the seven Mexican participants at the three events. His goal is high: he wants to earn the most points during the Surf Open League competitions because he wants to represent Mexico at the Olympic Games.

Surfing will make its Olympic debut during the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Source: Milenio (sp), AM (sp)

Homicides surge in Mexico City: worst four-month period in 20 years

By

MND Staff

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May 31, 2018

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Mexico City homicides, first four-month period of each year since 1998.

Mexico City has recorded its most violent first four-month period of any year of the past two decades with 382 intentional homicides between January 1 and the end of April.

The figure is 14% higher than the 335 recorded in the same period last year and 24% higher than the murder rate registered in the first four months of 1998, when there were 309 homicides.

There have not been more than 300 murders in Mexico City in the January-April period of any other year in the past 20.

Based on National Public Security System (SNSP) statistics, the average daily homicide rate in the capital to April 30 was 3.1.

The SNSP data, which compiles statistics provided by the Mexico City Attorney General’s office (PGJ), shows that the number of murders has increased in the first four months of every year since 2015.

Compared to 2014 — when homicides fell to 241 in the first four-month period from 256 the previous year — the crime has increased by 58%.

In the past 20 years, the lowest number of homicides recorded in a first four-month period was in 2006, with 207.

According to Mexico City authorities, most of the murders committed this year were not linked to organized crime and are not indicative of an outbreak of violence on the streets of the capital.

PGJ statistics reveal that eight out of every 10 homicides were the result of personal fights or attacks in revenge, in which alcohol consumption and/or firearms were involved.

However, a report published today in the newspaper Milenio said that homicides have increased since authorities began security operations against criminal organizations dedicated to narcomenudeo, or retail drug dealing.

Milenio cited the Tláhuac Cartel in the southern borough of the same name, Los Rodolfos in Xochimilco and La Unión de Tepito and La Fuerza Anti-Unión in the central borough of Cuauhtémoc among the organizations authorities have targeted.

The marines, backed up by police, carried out an operation in July last year that resulted in the death of the boss of the Tláhuac Cartel, known by the alias “El Ojos.”

Narco-blockades made an unprecedented appearance in Mexico City following the death of the gang leader and seven of his sicarios, or hitmen.

Mexico City Mayor José Ramón Amieva admitted yesterday that criminal gangs with “links all over the country” use locations in the capital to store and sell drugs but rejected any suggestion that drugs are grown or processed the city.

A joint 2017 report by the city’s Public Security Secretariat and the PGJ identified 20,000 places where drugs were being bought and sold at the start of last year.

Another report by the National and Mexico City Citizens’ Observatories published last month showed that retail drug trafficking soared by 113% in the first quarter of 2018.

Source: Milenio (sp)