Wednesday, April 30, 2025

New US initiative could ‘turbocharge’ Mexico’s semiconductor industry

By
MND Staff
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Ministerial meeting of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, with member country representatives seated at banquet tables in a foermal room at the US White House.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative at a meeting for foreign ministers of the member countries of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, which took place at the White House on Wednesday. (US government)

Mexico already has a semiconductor partnership with the United States, and the country is now part of a regional semiconductor industry initiative that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says will “turbocharge” its capacity to assemble, test and package the critical electronic components.

In his opening remarks at a meeting in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday attended by officials from the 12 member countries forming the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, Blinken announced the creation of the Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative.

Antony Blinken standing in a horizontal line with foreign ministers of member countries of the Americas Partnership For Economic Prosperity. Blinken is at the center of the line with his palms outstretched
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, sixth from left, told the foreign ministers that the U.S. wants to “turbocharge” member countries’ capacity to assemble, test and package semiconductors. The initiative would start with Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica. Foreign Affairs Minister Alicia Barcena, third from right, attended for Mexico. (US government)

“Thanks to funding from the bipartisan CHIPS Act, this initiative will turbocharge countries’ capacity to assemble, to test, and to package semiconductors, beginning with Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica,” he said.

Blinken also said that the United States will hold a semiconductors symposium in Mexico in September “to identify ways that the region can play a larger role in the global supply chain for this critical technology.”

Semiconductors: A key component in electronic devices

Asian countries such as Taiwan, South Korea and China are the main manufacturers of semiconductors, essential components in smartphones, computers, drones, electric vehicles and medical devices.

The United States wants to reduce its reliance on semiconductors from Asia by investing heavily in its own semiconductor industry. Its plan is to assist other countries in the region in increasing their capacity in the sector.

The U.S. Department of State announced in March that it would partner with the Mexican government to “explore opportunities to grow and diversify the global semiconductor ecosystem” under the five-year US $500 million International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) fund, part of the CHIPS Act of 2022.

The Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative 

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) released a statement on the regional initiative.

In Blinken’s speech to Americas Partnership members, excerpted here, he emphasized the benefits of the member nations working as a unit.

“Today, to bolster semiconductor production capabilities across the Western Hemisphere, the U.S. Department of State, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), has unveiled the CHIPS ITSI Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative,” the DOS said.

The department described the initiative as “groundbreaking” and noted, as Blinken did, that it will enhance “semiconductor assembly, testing, and packaging (ATP) capabilities in key partner countries, beginning with Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica.”

The DOS said that the IDB “will support public-private partnerships and implementation of OECD recommendations tailored to enhance the semiconductor ecosystems in targeted countries.”

It said that the initiative will commence in 2024 and run through 2026.

“This initiative will strengthen regional capabilities and set a precedent for inclusive economic growth and global technological advancement,” the DOS said.

Reaction to the initiative 

“Mexico will be king of semiconductors,” asserted a headline in a Publimetro article that struck an optimistic tone about the new regional initiative.

Writing in the El Financiero newspaper, columnist Jeanette Leyva Reus was also optimistic about the announcement, asserting that “there is every appearance” that a “new stage” in the construction of semiconductor plants is coming.

Mexico will receive semiconductor sector investment without even asking for it, she wrote.

Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Mexico’s Banco Base, said on X that if the new semiconductor initiative comes to fruition, “it will bring a lot of foreign investment to Mexico.”

“Of course, electricity, water and highway infrastructure needs to be improved,” she added.

Mexico's former Economy Minster Tatiana Clouthier holding a microphone at a meeting with US company Intel in Mexico City in 2022.
Mexico has been interested in developing its role as a semiconductor partner since before the creation of the Americas Partnership. In April 2022, then Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier signed an accord with US tech company Intel committing to knowledge and innovation transfer and training of Mexican talent in the semiconductor industry. (Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)

China experts weigh in

Paul Triolo, partner for China and technology policy lead at global business strategy firm Albright Stonebridge Group, was far less upbeat about the potential benefits the initiative will bring to Mexico and other Western Hemisphere countries.

The South China Morning Post, which spoke to the Washington D.C.-based executive, reported that Triolo “was skeptical about how easy it would be to implement the plans announced by US officials.”

He told the Hong Kong-based newspaper that the Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative would likely focus on the packaging and testing of semiconductors, but not on front-end manufacturing — i.e. the creation and processing of the semiconductor wafer.

“No major … firms are likely to want to establish a presence in these countries,” Triolo said in reference to Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica.

Even in the United States, “major front-end manufacturing firms that have received funding under the CHIPS Act are struggling to build advanced … facilities,” he told The South China Morning Post, explaining that the main impediment is the shortage of skilled workers to build and operate the plants.

Triolo said that even building a significant semiconductor packaging ecosystem in Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica could be “very challenging given the scale of investment required, unclear sources of trained personnel and [doubts about] the long-term ability of the U.S. to support such an effort.”

US Secretary of State posing for a photo with Costa Rica's Foreign Minister Arnoldo Andre in a White House conference room
Blinken with Costa Rica Foreign Minister Arnoldo André at Wednesday’s meeting. In 2023, Intel committed to building the company’s only semiconductor chip assembly and testing facility in the West. However, China and technology policy expert Paul Triolo said that no major tech firms were likely to invest in semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Mexico, Costa Rica or Panama due to a lack of skilled workers in those countries. (Government of Costa Rica)

China’s state-owned newspaper reacts

The Global Times, a state-owned Chinese newspaper considered a Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, also weighed in on the Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative. Its report said the program “may be just ‘lip service’ from the U.S.”

“The Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative comes as Washington tries to reignite the flame of semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. The government is flexing all policy muscles to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing by suppressing its competitors. So, it is almost impossible for the U.S. to give full support to other countries’ efforts in advancing semiconductor manufacturing,” the report said.

“… Although the U.S. may bring Latin American countries some small-scale investment in back-end semiconductor manufacturing, we don’t think it will be very helpful in boosting the development of manufacturing in Latin American countries,” The Global Times said.

Launched by United States President Joe Biden in 2022, the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity — from which the new semiconductor initiative stems — is seen as a U.S. effort to counter growing Chinese influence in Latin America. It includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Barbados, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Uruguay.

Upcoming semiconductors symposium in Mexico

The opportunities arising from the Western Hemisphere Semiconductor Initiative and Mexico’s bilateral semiconductor partnership with the United States are on the agenda for the Americas Partnership Semiconductor Symposium, which will be hosted by the U.S. Department of State and Mexico’s Economy Ministry in Mexico City on Sept. 5 and 6.

The challenges that must be overcome to ensure success will also be on the agenda.

US president Joe Biden standing at a podium in front of a blue backdrop that says "9th Summit of the Americas Los Angeles 2022"
The Americas Partnership was first announced by U.S. President Joe Biden at the Summit of the Americas in June 2022. (Erin Scott/White House)

The DOS said in a statement that the symposium “will focus on expanding and diversifying the semiconductor assembly, testing, and packaging (ATP) ecosystem in Americas Partnership countries.”

“A secure semiconductor supply chain ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere is critical to the Biden Administration’s goals, including the successful implementation of the CHIPS Act,” the department added.

It said that the symposium will “bring together industry, particularly small and medium-sized suppliers, governments, academia, and labor to identify key challenges, explore emerging opportunities, and develop strategies for sustainable growth and collaboration in this critical industry.”

“These efforts will work towards achieving one of the Americas Partnership’s priority goals of bolstering the semiconductor industry and capacity in the Western Hemisphere,” the DOS said.

Mexico News Daily 

Claudia Sheinbaum names ministers of culture, tourism and labor

By
MND Staff
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Claudia Sheinbuam stands with her new cabinet appointees on a stage with the words "Claudia Sheinbaum, Presidenta."
The newest names in Sheinbaum's cabinet are Marath Bolaños López leading the Labor Ministry, Josefina Rodríguez Zamora as Tourism Minister and Claudia Curiel de Icaza as Minister of Culture. (Claudia Sheinbaum/X)

President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum announced three more appointments to her cabinet on Thursday, introducing the heads of the labor, culture and tourism ministries.

The cabinet appointments of “three brilliant young people” — as Sheinbaum referred to them in a social media post on X — are part of her preparation to take office as Mexico’s first female president on Oct. 1, following her June 2 victory as the candidate for the Morena Party.

Sheinbaum, who has been gradually unveiling her cabinet picks, stated that only the ministers of Defense and the Navy remain to be announced. Those are expected to be made in September.

The newest appointees are Marath Bolaños López, 40, as Labor and Social Welfare Minister; Claudia Curiel de Icaza, 44, as Culture Minister; and Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, 34, as Tourism Minister.

Here are brief looks at the backgrounds of each of them:

Marath Bolaños López

Marath Bolaños, Sheinbaum's newly named Labor Minister
Current Labor Minister Marath Bolaños López will continue in his current role. (Marath Bolaños/Twitter)

A former private secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and a deputy for the Morena caucus in Congress, Bolaños will continue as the Labor and Social Welfare Minister, a position he has held since last June 2023.

A significant figure in the current administration’s labor reforms, he has been praised for his role in enhancing labor rights, increasing the minimum wage, reforming pensions and regulating outsourcing.

Bolaños, who also teaches at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), expressed gratitude for the opportunity to continue his work.

“The Labor Ministry has a lot to contribute to continue benefiting workers,” he stated. “We know the way, we have the compass well set and we know where to go because for the good of all, the poor come first.”

Claudia Curiel de Icaza

Curiel de Icaza, who has nearly 20 years of experience in cultural promotion and management, will take over as the Culture Minister, a position she also held in the Mexico City government when Sheinbaum was mayor from December 2018 to June 2023.

She holds a degree in history from UNAM and is a specialist in arts education.

Claudia Curiel de Icaza, future Culture Minister, speaks at a podium.
Claudia Curiel de Icaza will lead Sheinbaum’s Culture Ministry. (Claudia Curiel de Icaza/Instagram)

In the capital, she was instrumental in implementing community culture projects.

“Culture is a tool for transformation and offers us a vision of the future,” she said in talking about her new role. “We will be plural, inclusive and collective.”

Josefina Rodríguez Zamora

The next Tourism Minister served in the same role in the state of Tlaxcala, where she created the campaign “Tlaxcala, Sí Existe” (Tlaxcala, yes it exists). The campaign plays on a popular meme that the diminutive state is a myth to promote Tlaxcalas’s attractions, culture and tourism opportunities.

Rodríguez has a business administration degree from the Ibero-American University of Puebla and a master’s in senior management from the University of the Valley of Tlaxcala. At 34, she is the youngest of Sheinbaum’s cabinet appointees.

In her new role, she said she wants to develop tourism that benefits Mexico’s Indigenous communities and young people.

A portrait of Josefina Rodrìguez Zamora.
Josefina Rodrìguez Zamora, the youngest of the cabinet appointees, will lead the Ministry of Tourism. (Josefina Rodríguez Zamora/Facebook)

“Tourism is the leading employer sector for young people and the second largest for women,” she said. “We will continue with the regional development of our destinations.”

Sheinbaum’s cabinet appointees so far

Based on the appointments made to date, Sheinbaum’s cabinet — made up of 10 women and 10 men — is as follows:

Chief of Staff: Lázaro Cárdenas Batel

Interior Minister: Rosa Icela Rodríguez

Security Minister: Omar García Harfuch

Education Minister: Mario Delgado

Welfare Minister: Ariadna Montiel Reyes

Economy Minister: Marcelo Ebrard

Environment and Natural Resources Minister: Alicia Bárcena

Finance Minister: Rogelio Ramírez de la O

Minister for Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation: Rosaura Ruiz

Foreign Affairs Minister: Juan Ramón de la Fuente

Legal Counsel to the President: Ernestina Godoy

Agriculture and Rural Development Minister: Julio Berdegué

Energy Minister: Luz Elena González Escobar

Health Minister: David Kershenobich Stalnikowitz

Public Administration Minister: Raquel Buenrostro Sánchez

Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Minister: Jesús Antonio Esteva Medina

Agrarian, Land and Urban Development Minister: Edna Elena Vega Rangel

Labor and Social Welfare Minister: Marath Bolaños López

Culture Minister: Claudia Curiel de Icaza

Tourism Minister: Josefina Rodríguez Zamora

With reports from Sin Embargo, El Economista and El Financiero

Get your jalapeños popping with this cheese stuffed recipe

By
Stephen Randall
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Jalapeños poppers recipe
Cheese: Check. Bacon: Check. Jalapeño spice: Check. Deliciousness: Double check. (Over the Fire Cooking)

The idea of stuffing peppers has been a part of Mexican cuisine as far back as 6,000 years and dishes like chiles rellenos — larger peppers stuffed with cheese or meat, battered and fried — have been traditional in Mexico for at least centuries. Today, let’s talk about an incredible recipe for the greatest fusion food of all: Jalapeño poppers. 

The Tex-Mex love child, jalapeño poppers are believed to have originated in the United States, specifically in the Southwest, where Tex-Mex food and culture are at their peak. The concept of stuffing jalapeños with cheese and other fillings is influenced by Mexican cuisine, but the modern jalapeño popper — particularly the version often served in American restaurants and bars — is a product of Tex-Mex fusion.

Jalapeños
Jalapeños are the most iconic of all hot peppers – but they can be taken to the next level with some cheese and bacon. (Thembi Johnson/Unsplash)

The exact origin of this spicy masterpiece is somewhat unclear, but they gained popularity in the late 20th century. The combination of jalapeños with creamy cheese and the option to wrap them in bacon or coat them in breadcrumbs for frying made them a popular appetizer in American cuisine. Today I’d like to share my favorite bacon wrapped version, using plenty of  local Mexican ingredients.

Mexican-style jalapeño poppers with Oaxaca cheese recipe

Ingredients:

12 fresh jalapeño peppers

8 oz Oaxaca cheese, shredded or crumbled

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

2-3 chipotles, diced

1/2 tsp chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

12 slices of bacon, cut in half

Lime wedges for serving

Instructions

  1. Cut each jalapeño pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. If you prefer milder poppers, ensure you remove all the seeds. You can also use mini sweet peppers instead of jalapeños. Use gloves when handling jalapeños to avoid irritation from the capsaicin.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the Oaxaca cheese, cream cheese, cotija cheese, chopped green onions, cilantro, garlic powder, ground cumin, chipotles, chili powder, salt and pepper until well combined. For extra Mexican flavor, add a splash of hot sauce to the filling.
  3. Using a spoon, fill each jalapeño half with the cheese mixture, packing it in slightly so it doesn’t spill out during grilling or baking.
  4.  Wrap each filled jalapeño half with a half slice of bacon. Secure the bacon with a toothpick to keep it in place.

Grilling Option

Jalapeños poppers
These delicious poppers can be grilled or baked, according to taste. (Arteflame)

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat, about 375-400 F or 190-200 C. Place the jalapeño poppers on the grill, cheese side up. Grill for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the bacon is crispy and the jalapeños are tender.

Remove the poppers from the grill and let them cool slightly. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the poppers before serving. 

Baking Option


1. Preheat your oven to 400 F or 200 C.

2. Place the jalapeño poppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking rack.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the jalapeños are tender.

4. Remove the poppers from the oven and let the spicy babies chill out a bit. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the poppers before serving. Enjoy them warm as an appetizer, put them on a burger or wrap them up in a burrito: the options are almost endless.

Enjoy your Mexican-style jalapeño poppers and let me know what you think of this recipe!

Stephen Randall has lived in Mexico since 2018 by way of Kentucky, and before that, Germany. He’s an enthusiastic amateur chef who takes inspiration from many different cuisines, with favorites including Mexican and Mediterranean.

Torrential rains cause flooding in Mexico City, Puebla and México state

By
MND Staff
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Man with red umbrella crosses street in the Mexico City historic center amid heavy rains.
Downpours were the norm yesterday in Mexico City's historic center. Thirteen of 16 boroughs in the nation's capital were on alert for flooding. (Edgar Negrete Lira/Cuartoscuro)

Heavy rains on Wednesday wreaked havoc across parts of central Mexico, flooding streets in Puebla and México state, delaying operations at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and causing rush-hour chaos in the nation’s capital on Thursday morning.

Thirteen of Mexico City’s 16 boroughs were on alert as a result of the torrential downpour, but the soggy metropolis won’t have much time to dry out as more rainstorms are in the forecast. The city’s civil protection agency issued a weather advisory telling the public to expect warm, cloudy weather and lightning storms in the evening on Thursday, as part of Tropical Wave No. 11. 

Heavy rains are predicted throughout most of Mexico for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as this animated rain accumulation predictive map shows. (Meteored/X)

The rain affected operations at the AICM, causing delays to departing flights after access roads — including Boulevard Aereo Puerto and the Circuito Interior — were flooded. The deep water left commuters stranded for more than three hours, according to the newspaper El Universal.

Airport traffic control focused on facilitating arrivals over departures as the weather worsened, until Runway 5 was deemed too unsafe to use. When the rain and wind reduced visibility to a dangerous level, at least six flights were diverted to nearby airfields.

Wednesday afternoon’s storms also flooded streets in the city of Puebla and the eastern regions of México state.

Puebla was particularly hard-hit as high winds knocked down trees, one of which crushed an automobile. No injuries were reported, but flooding in the northern part of the city caused damage at the Plaza Comercial San Pedro.

In downtown Puebla, another shopping plaza, La Herencia 811, was inundated. The city was still surveying the damage late into the night and several roads were still underwater on Thursday morning, according to digital news outlet Infobae.

Commuters were stranded in eastern México state when long stretches of the Mexico City-Puebla highway were flooded, shutting down traffic completely. The Mexico City-Texcoco highway was also affected, with traffic slowing to a crawl in several sections.

Downed tree due to torrential rains in front of blocked car in Puebla City, Mexico. Policeman in rain gear looks on.
The torrential rains wreaked havoc in the city of Puebla Wednesday, where flooding and downed trees kept emergency personnel busy through the night. (Social media)

Public transport was impacted as several stations east of the capital were inaccessible on Wednesday. Line 4 of the capital’s Metro system was shut down briefly after a tree fell across the tracks.

On the positive side, the hydraulic system that supplies water to Mexico City received an influx of much-needed rain. As of July 15, the three main dams that feed the Cutzamala system had risen by 1.3% in one week, according to the National Water Commission (Conagua).

The dams had been dangerously low before the rainy season arrived and were still only at 29.1% of capacity on July 15, reported the newspaper Milenio.

With reports from El Universal, El Financiero, El Sol de Toluca, Infobae and Milenio

Guadalajara airport to finally inaugurate second runway

By
MND Staff
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The entrance of Guadalajara International Airport (GDL), with cars pulling up to drop passengers off.
Guadalajara's long-planned second runway will be inaugurated next week. (Visita Guadalajara)

It’s been a long time coming, but the Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) will finally become Mexico’s fourth airport to feature at least two runways.

The Transportation Ministry fully certified the new runway earlier this month and airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP) announced its inauguration will take place on July 23.

The second runway is the centerpiece of a five-year, $16 billion-peso (US $889 million) renovation project undertaken by the state government and GAP to convert the Guadalajara airport into western Mexico’s main air travel hub.

According to newspaper El Economista, the Jalisco state government spent $15 billion pesos (US $837 million) to build the runway, while the remaining investment went toward constructing a new terminal and modernizing the airport infrastructure.

The new runway is 3.5 kilometers long and is a distance of 275 meters away from the other runway, giving the airport the capacity to manage 60 operations per hour, duplicating the number of flights currently operating and further consolidating GDL as a world-class airport.

“The second runway will increase opportunities for growth and boost economic development in the state,” said Xavier Orendaín, Jalisco’s top economic official. “The airport has already announced four new routes and a few more will be announced before the end of the year.”

Construction equipment works in a barren field to build a runway for Guadalajara airport.
The runway is part of a $15-billion-peso plan to expand and upgrade airport facilities. (Fernando Carranza García/Cuartoscuro)

Orendáin said GAP recently submitted a master plan with recommendations for routing traffic within the vicinity of the airport as well as industrial and logistical developments. This is a necessity since the additional runway will increase cargo flights in and out of Guadalajara, the state capital.

State transportation authorities are also working on new highway plans and loop roads to streamline airport traffic around Guadalajara. Orendaín added that city officials are preparing an executive plan to add a light train route to the airport.

Runway inauguration is culmination of 50 years of negotiations

Airport authorities had long sought to expand its operations, but for years residents of the adjacent El Zapote ejido thwarted their efforts.

The conflict over the land rights date back into the 1970s. It was finally resolved in February 2023 when the Federal Civil Aviation Agency helped negotiate an agreement. GDL acquired 116 hectares of land for an undisclosed amount of money and rezoned the property, allowing the airport to push forward with its expansion project.

In addition to the second runway and the new terminal, airport director Martín Zazueta said the new property will facilitate GDL’s expansion plans, with investments lined up for the next five years. Ongoing construction projects include a new general aviation area which will lead to the construction of a second terminal.

With reports from Milenio and El Economista

Gulf Cartel leader ‘El Escorpión 17’ and others arrested in Tamaulipas

By
MND Staff
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Members of the National Guard on patrol
Authorities say the arrest of the alleged Gulf Cartel leader "El Escorpión 17" and other operatives will "weaken" the criminal organization. (Cuartoscuro)

An alleged Gulf Cartel leader and at least three other alleged members of the same criminal organization were arrested in Tamaulipas this week.

The National Guard (GN) said Wednesday that members of a special forces unit, “in coordination with the Federal Attorney General’s Office,” arrested Antonio Guadalupe Pérez Domínguez in the municipality of Ciudad Madero on Tuesday.

National Guard members stand with three suspects in front of a plane
Three of the other suspects arrested on Wednesday were alleged to be members of the “Los Ciclones” faction of the Gulf Cartel. (Sedena)

Pérez, known as “El Escorpión 17”, is the alleged leader of “The Scorpions” (Los Escorpiones), the armed wing of the notoriously violent Gulf Cartel.

The faction was linked to the kidnapping of four U.S. citizens in the border city of Matamoros in March 2023. Two of the victims were killed.

The GN said that Pérez was located in the Playa Miramar area of Ciudad Madero and transferred to the maximum-security Altiplano federal prison in Almoloya de Juárez, México state, after his arrest.

The security force said that the arrest will help “weaken a criminal organization with a presence in the state of Tamaulipas, limiting its financial activities, its trafficking of undocumented people and drugs to the United States and its illegal introduction of firearms to national territory.”

Weapons and ammunition confiscated by the National Guard
The security forces also seized weapons, ammunition and tactical gear during raids following the arrest of the alleged cartel leader. (Sedena)

The GN said that as a result of the arrest of Pérez, raids were carried out at four properties in Matamoros and four people were detained. It also said that firearms, ammunition and tactical gear were seized at the properties.

At least three of the four people detained in Matamoros were members of “The Cyclones” (Los Ciclones) faction of the Gulf Cartel, according to a Milenio newspaper report.

Citing information it received from the Ministry of National Defense, Milenio said that “three operators” of the Cyclones faction were detained on Wednesday morning in Matamoros, located opposite Brownsville, Texas.

It identified those detained as Daniel Isidoro, Leonardo Daniel and Perla Guadalupe.

A man wearing an adidas hoodie and a screenshot of police cars outside a store
José Alberto García Vilano, also known as “La Kena,” was arrested in a department store in an upscale neighborhood of the Monterrey metropolitan area. (X)

Daniel Isidoro, known as “El Dany,” is the second most important man in the “criminal structure” of the Cyclones, Milenio said. José Alberto García Vilano, the faction’s presumed leader, was detained in Nuevo León in January.

Leonardo Daniel, known as “El Pepino” (The Cucumber), is the chief of the Cyclones’ communications network, Milenio said. Perla Guadalupe, known as “La Cuñada” (The Sister-in-Law), is the faction’s “main financial operator” in Matamoros, Milenio said.

The three alleged members of the Cyclones were also transferred to the Altiplano federal prison, the penitentiary from which Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán escaped via a tunnel in 2015. They face a range of organized crime charges including drug trafficking, weapons possession and extortion.

According to Insight Crime, the Gulf Cartel is “one of the oldest and most powerful of Mexico’s criminal groups but has lost territory and influence in recent years to its rivals, including its former enforcer wing, the Zetas.”

“… The group has split into many different factions, each vying for control over Tamaulipas’ extensive borderlands,” says the think tank and media organization.

With reports from Milenio and EFE 

The murky world of surrogacy in Mexico

By
MND Staff
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Almonds swimming towards a pomegranate, representing surrogacy.
A lack of legislation surrounding surrogacy in Mexico is putting vulnerable women in danger. (Deon Black/Unsplash)

You’re probably familiar with surrogacy, an agreement in which a woman agrees to carry a child for a person or couple who intend to be the parents of the child born from that pregnancy. But when these hopeful parents choose surrogate mothers in countries with a weak legal system — like Mexico — abuses tend to happen.  

Tracking the exact birth figures through surrogacy in Mexico is impossible due to the lack of regulation in this area. According to news outlet N+Focus, for example, the state of Sinaloa registered 115 births through surrogacy between 2016 to 2022. Only one in five involved a signed contract. 

A newborn baby
Only 20% of surrogates in the state of Sinaloa were protected by a legal contract. (Picsea/Unsplash)

“Currently, a surrogacy contract is left to the discretion of private agreements regarding the rights that the State should safeguard, such as the right to one’s family, to know one’s origins, to remain with one’s family of origin, and to have a nationality, among others,” Sofía Rosas Michel, a University of Monterrey-trained lawyer specialized in surrogacy, told me. 

In 2021, Mexico’s Supreme Court (SCJN) ruled that a 2016 modification of the state of Tabasco’s Civil Code that banned surrogacy for all except married heterosexual Mexican couples was unconstitutional on the grounds that it discriminated against foreigners, LGBTQ+ couples and unmarried people, as well as violating the best interests of the child and women’s autonomy. 

The ruling established surrogacy as a protected medical procedure and the legality of both paid and free surrogacy. The court’s ruling also emphasized the need for federal authorities to regulate surrogacy with criteria based on human rights and medical science. However, most states have not adopted the ruling into their legal system. Only two states allow surrogacy, two states forbid it and the remaining 28 states say nothing on the subject in their civil or family codes.

As a result, “surrogacy agreements in Mexico are carried out under the legal logic that what is not forbidden is allowed,” Rosas said. This deficient regulation frequently leads to human right violations against the child and the surrogate mother, as explained below. Furthermore, in the states with no regulation the parties have no legal resources to claim compliance with the agreement. 

Despite the growing popularity of surrogacy in Mexico, most states do not have any legislation to govern the practice or protect the surrogates. (Alexander Grey/Unsplash)

Still, international surrogacy agencies advertise Mexico as a safe and legal country for the process, leading the U.S. embassy to warn  those wishing to pursue surrogacy in Mexico of the possibility of issues with health care and administrative and legal hurdles to documenting children born through surrogacy

The embassy also warns intendent parents that surrogate mothers may assert their parental rights during the surrogacy process regardless of contracts relinquishing those rights. “Mexican surrogacy law is incomplete and open to wide interpretation,” the embassy’s website says. “Be wary of any agency or clinic that guarantees the legality of surrogacy in Mexico or fails to explain the risks.” 

What are the risks of a surrogacy contract in Mexico? 

Surrogacy contracts are explicitly forbidden in Querétaro and Coahuila. They are allowed — with many caveats — in Tabasco and Sinaloa and are unregulated in the rest of the country. Hence, a surrogacy contract in Mexico poses some risks like months-long delays in Mexico for intended parents while waiting for court decisions on parental rights and legal impediments to documenting children born through surrogacy.

Beyond these risks, surrogacy contracts in Mexico may lead to human rights violations. A study by the Information Group on Reproductive Choice (GIRE) found that the most common human rights violations include the right to non-discrimination, the right to legal certainty and the child’s right to identity. 

A woman signing a contract
Some human rights foundations have suggested that some surrogacy contracts in Mexico may violate the human rights of surrogates. (Leon Seibert/Unsplash)

GIRE, for instance, has documented violations of the children’s right to identity due to the absence of birth certificates for children born in Mexico to surrogate mothers. It has also recorded cases in which agencies retain medical information regarding the surrogate mother’s care and treatment, meaning a direct breach of their right to health. Other examples include discrimination against them by the medical personnel, who act in the interest of the intended parents rather than the surrogate mother. 

“The state must find a way to protect those who wish to be parents, women who decide to be surrogates for other families and the children born from these kinds of agreements,” GIRE says.

However, according to Sofía Rosas, the rights of pregnant women are often left in greater vulnerability than those of the children. 

“It’s worth pointing out that the countries where intended parents look for surrogate mothers are developing countries. This has created a form of ‘reproductive tourism,’” she says. “This suggests that individuals with fewer opportunities are placed at a disadvantage compared to those who travel to pay for a child to be conceived. It raises questions about whether it is legitimate for women to make this choice, especially when they are in economically and socially vulnerable situations, as it may constitute reproductive exploitation.” 

A mysterious and sad looking woman
Many surrogates are at risk of exploitation as a result of the lax legislation. (Claudia Soraya/Unsplash)

After the SCJN approved surrogacy in 2021, groups like feminist organization Nosotras Tenemos Otros Datos spoke out against the ruling. They argued that “wombs for rent do not respect, promote or guarantee the human rights of women or children.” They stated that not prohibiting this practice would be equivalent to supporting and reproducing inequalities and violence against women within a patriarchal and capitalist system.

On the other hand, GIRE research coordinator Verónica Esparza Pérez urged the government to allow surrogacy in all states of the country. Her organization has said that in countries like Mexico, “its prohibition implies less state control to mitigate risks and guarantee minimum conditions of consent. Furthermore, it criminalizes those who carry it out.” 

This reflects a problem that can be summarized in two major positions, Rosas explains: one that seeks the abolition of surrogacy and one that is in favor of its regulation.  

How much does a surrogacy contract cost?  

The deficient regulation of surrogacy in Mexico makes it difficult to estimate the amount of money that Mexican surrogate mothers receive from intended parents.

According to a four-month study by Gaceta UNAM and UNAM Global TV , the compensation and living expenses in a surrogacy agreement are classified as “support” voluntarily given to women, supposedly to avoid the perception of “marketing babies.” Therefore, there is no specific amount that women must receive, the study explains. 

However, UNAM had access to a surrogacy contract that agreed on a total amount of 300,000 pesos (around US $16,800). Furthermore, social media posts of intended parents looking for surrogate mothers offer similar amounts.

The “Surrogacy Market 2023-2032” report, published by Global Market Insights, states that the surrogacy industry will reach US $129 billion by 2032. As the industry grows,  Mexico needs to take a clear stand on surrogacy. As GIRE researcher Amneris Chaparro Martínez told UNAM Global TV in January: “If surrogacy is an industry, it’s important to determine what would be the fair payment for someone who will compromise their body in such an intense way.”

What do you think Mexico should do about surrogacy? Leave a comment with your opinion.

Gabriela Solis is a Mexican lawyer turned full-time writer. She was born and raised in Guadalajara and covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her lifestyle blog Dunas y Palmeras.

CBP reports migrant encounters at Mexico-US border down 50%

By
MND Staff
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3
U.S. President Joe Biden walking with US Border Patrol officers along the U.S. border wall with a border patrol SUV parked in the background.
Since U.S. President Biden restricted asylum claims, migration across the Mexico-U.S. border has plummeted. (File photo)

United States government data indicates a significant decline in the number of migrants attempting to illegally enter the U.S. via Mexico since U.S. President Joe Biden implemented a new border policy in early June.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Monday that the number of “encounters” between migrants and authorities at the U.S.-Mexico border decreased by more than 50% in the past six weeks.

A crowd of migrants at the Ciudad Juarez/El Paso border staring at a tall mesh wire gate
Migrants in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, in March, attempting to breach Gate 36 of the U.S. border into El Paso, Texas. Before BIden’s June 4 executive order, these migrants had hopes of being able to apply for asylum if they made it into the United States. (Rey R. Jáuregui/Cuartoscuro)

“The Border Patrol’s seven-day average has decreased to below 1,900 encounters per day,” the agency said in a statement.

Biden issued an executive order on June 4 that prevents migrants from making asylum claims at the U.S.-Mexico border at times when crossings between legal ports of entry surge.

The order — described by The New York Times as “the most restrictive border policy instituted by Mr. Biden, or any other modern Democrat” — took effect the following day as the seven-day average of illegal crossings by migrants, as measured in terms of “encounters” with authorities, was above 2,500 per day.

The new border policy allows authorities to send migrants back to Mexico or to their countries of origin within hours or days without the chance to apply for asylum, even if a migrant believes they have a worthy claim. In order for U.S. authorities to reopen the border to asylum seekers, the number of migrant crossings between ports of entry must remain below a daily average of 1,500 for seven consecutive days prior.

CBP said Monday that encounters with migrants between official ports of entry to the U.S. declined 29% in June compared to May. The monthly total of encounters — 83,536 — was the lowest since January 2021, it added.

“Recent border security measures have made a meaningful impact on our ability to impose consequences for those crossing unlawfully, leading to a decline of 29% in U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions from May to June, with a more than 50% drop in the seven-day average from the [Biden] announcement to the end of the month,” said Troy A. Miller, a CBP senior official currently serving as the agency’s acting commissioner.

People walk up a mobile staircase to board a repatriation flight on a runway while US immigration officials look on from the top and bottom of the stairs.
The US government has stepped up repatriation flights since Biden’s border policy went into effect six weeks ago. Here, migrants board a repatriation flight from Del Rio, Texas. (DHS/X)

Since Biden’s new border policy and an associated immigration rule took effect on June 5, the Department of Homeland Security “has removed or returned more than 70,000 individuals to more than 170 countries, including by operating more than 150 international repatriation flights,” CBP said.

“Total removals and returns over the past year exceed removals and returns in any fiscal year since 2010 and a majority of all southwest border encounters during the past three fiscal years resulted in a removal, return, or expulsion,” the agency added.

The Hill newspaper reported that the new CBP data “could be a boon for Biden, as border crossings have taken center stage in the 2024 presidential election.”

United States Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar highlighted the data in a statement.

He emphasized that the more than 50% reduction in encounters with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border occurred “in just six weeks” and declared that the reduction in apprehensions to below 1,900 per day was a “significant milestone.”

“… We will continue working to advance the legal [migration] pathways and an orderly, safe and humane migration system,” Salazar said.

U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, seen here during a meeting with Mexico Security Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez, called the CBP numbers a “significant milestone.” (Ken Salazar/X)

Mexico has come under pressure from the United States to do more to stop the flow of migrants to its northern border and has recently ramped up enforcement against undocumented migrants.

The National Immigration Institute said last month that almost 1.4 million undocumented foreigners were “rescued” and taken to detention centers or facilities operated by the DIF family services agency in the first five months of the year. In addition to sending migrants to detention centers, Mexican immigration authorities “round them up across the country and dump them in the southern Mexican cities of Villahermosa and Tapachula,” the Associated Press reported in June.

Following a meeting with U.S. officials in December, Mexican authorities also increased efforts to stop migrants boarding northbound buses and trains.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has long stressed the need to address the root causes of migration in various Western Hemisphere countries. His government has expanded its employment programs to some Central American countries while calling on the U.S. to increase development funding for the region.

The United States Congress should approve a US $20 billion “plan of cooperation for development and well-being,” López Obrador said earlier this year, adding that the aim of such an initiative would be to address the structural causes of migration — things such as poverty, violence and lack of opportunity.

Mexico News Daily 

Shanghai-based USI opens new manufacturing plant in Tonalá, Jalisco

By
MND Staff
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3
USI officials and officials from Jalisco, Mexico, in a horizontal line all holding part of a red ribbon and holding scissors, readying to cut it as part of an opening ceremony for its new Tonalá plant
USI, or Universal Scientific International, a global electronics company based in Shanghai, held an opening ceremony on Tuesday at its new Tonalá plant. In attendance were USI officials and Jalisco economic development functionaries.(USI)

Global electronic design and manufacturing company USI has opened a new US $82 million plant in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, its second facility in the Jalisco capital.

Universal Scientific Industrial, as the Shanghai-based company is officially called, said in a press release on Tuesday that it was “delighted” to announce the opening of its new site in the municipality of Tonalá.

New USI plant in Tonala, Jalisco. Factory building in background with its parking lot in the foreground, with a van and two trucks parked in the lot.
The new plant, in the Axis Industrial Park, cost US $82 million and took over a year to build. (Enrique Alfaro/X)

The company held an opening ceremony on Tuesday, with government and business officials including Jalisco Economic Development Minister Roberto Arechederra in attendance.

USI said the “Tonalá site is poised to become a center of excellence, driving technological advancements and contributing to the local economy.”

“USI is excited to embark on this new chapter and looks forward to the positive impact the site will have on the region and beyond,” the company added.

Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro took to social media on Wednesday to share the “great news.”

“USI, a leading company in the development and production of electronic products for the automotive industry, consumer electronics and communications has set its sights on our land and decided to open its second plant in Mexico, here in Tonalá,” he wrote on X.

“… That a company with a presence on the five continents has arrived in Tonalá is an achievement for the state and for an area of the city that no one looked at for years,” Alfaro added.

USI sign at the company's plant in Guadalajara, next to an adobe building and a large tree.
USI already has facilities nearby in the city of Guadalajara. (USI)

The governor acknowledged the $82 million investment in the new plant, and the announcement that its operation is expected to create “3,000 new jobs for our people.”

At the plant opening in the Axis Industrial Park, the general manager of USI’s Guadalajara and Tonalá sites, Bernardo Santos, said that the “mission” at the new plant is to “foster a collaborative environment where cutting-edge technology and local talent come together to drive success and contribute to the region’s economic development.”

Matthew Behringer, the company’s senior vice president for North American operations and corporate operations development, said “the Tonalá site represents a pivotal step in our North American operations, enabling us to enhance our service capabilities and better meet the needs of our clients in this dynamic market.”

For his part, Arechederra said the government and people of Jalisco “feel very honored that USI has trusted the state since 1997.”

“… We celebrate this technology that USI is going to make in Jalisco, and we celebrate its expansion in our country and our state,” the economic development minister added.

Tonalá Mayor Sergio Chávez said the site where the new plant opened was “empty land” a few months ago, but now USI will manufacture products there that will be exported to Europe, Asia and the United States.

“We are talking about an investment of almost US $82 million with 3,000 new jobs, and that is what we mayors have to promote,” he said.

Mexico News Daily 

What I learned educating my child in a Mexican beach town

By
Debbie Slobe
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11
Author’s daughter celebrating Mariner’s Day with El Jardín school.
What happens when you send an American kid to a Mexican school? A world of opportunity! (All photos by Debbie Slobe)

Attracted to a slower pace of life and beautiful beaches, more foreign families are uprooting their kids, quitting their jobs, finding new ways to support themselves and moving to Mexico’s small coastal communities. Educating my child in Mexico is one of the best decisions I ever made.

Towns are responding and developing international and bilingual schools that cater to foreign children and accepting more foreign students into local public schools.

Author’s daughter is now bi-literate and bilingual thanks to her time at El Jardín school.
The author’s daughter is now bilingual thanks to her time at El Jardín school.

We are one of those families. In 2015, we left our jobs and home in the United States, moved to the small beachside community of Chacala, Nayarit, and enrolled our daughter in El Jardín y La Selva, a nonprofit community school. We had no idea when we dropped her off for her first day of preschool what a positive experience it would be.

As she is about to graduate from primary school, I’ve been reflecting on what she’s gained by attending a small school in coastal Mexico. I share these perspectives to help other families considering making a similar move.

Kids won’t “fall behind”; they’ll be light years ahead

Author’s daughter on a tour of El Rancho organic farm with El Jardín school.
On a tour of El Rancho organic farm with El Jardín school.

One of the fears I had pulling my daughter out of the American school system and placing her in a small-town Mexican school was that she’d fall behind her peers in the U.S. True enough – when we returned to the States those first few summers, many of her friends were more advanced reading in English. 

But I learned over time that the social and emotional skills she gained at El Jardín were far more important. Thanks to her time there, she’s more confident, creative and collaborative. Plus, now she reads and writes fluently in Spanish and English and is doing great in core subjects thanks to the school’s strong academic program. 

Being plopped into a Mexican school without knowing the language or culture forced her to figure out how to advocate for herself, be more observant and experience what it’s like to be different. It humbled her as much as it frustrated her at times, but in the end, the experience made her more resilient and adaptable.

Small-town schools foster a culture of sharing

Like most beach towns in Mexico, in Chacala there are vast differences in the local population’s economic situation. Some families have lived here for generations, supporting themselves through fishing, domestic work and tourism. Others are relative newcomers from foreign countries and large cities in Mexico with greater wealth. 

This means that both high and low-wealth students are part of the school community. While this is also true in many U.S. schools, because American neighborhoods are more economically homogeneous, the differences are starker in Mexico.

Our school has about a 4:1 ratio of low to high-wealth kids. So everything the school does needs to take this into account, from the way it fundraises and distributes scholarships, to how it plans school activities, fundraisers and excursions. Each child is given equitable access to the educational and extracurricular offerings according to their needs. 

This fairmindedness extends to how the children treat each other. My daughter and her classmates come from all these backgrounds. They see the differences and disparities but instead of forming cliques, they have created a culture of sharing, not comparing. It amazes me to this day to see how generous they are with each other, regardless of their economic situation. 

Celebration is an essential part of life

Author’s daughter celebrating Dia de Muertos at El Jardín school.
Celebrating a birthday at El Jardín.

In addition to all the Mexican national holidays, coastal communities like Chacala have local celebrations, such as Mariner’s Day, Saint Raphael Week and arts and environmental festivals, in which students participate. Small community schools like El Jardín add other celebrations, such as Teacher’s Day, Family Day and International Children’s Day. The school year is longer to accommodate all the in-school celebrations and days off, but seeing your child experience so much joy, gratitude and community connections is so worth it.

Downtime is not “lost time”

Author’s daughter celebrating Dia de Muertos at El Jardín school.
Engaging with local culture is an important part of sending your child to school in Mexico.

Schools in small Mexican beach towns generally don’t have much going on in the way of after-school activities. The activities we do have are either at the school or within walking distance. Kids generally fill their time outside of school playing at each other’s houses, on the beach, at the local playground, on the plaza or relaxing at home. 

There are times when I look at my friends’ social feeds and see everything that their kids are doing in the U.S. and feel like my daughter is missing out. But then I talk to these parents and they are exhausted from the frenzy of activities and their kids have zero downtime. 

I’ve come to learn that there’s nothing wrong with downtime. It allows kids to connect with their friends and family, pursue a craft or hobby or — god forbid — spend time alone. Sometimes my daughter is bored. But I’d rather she be bored than oversubscribed.

Our experience has shown that there is nothing to fear and everything to gain by educating your child in a coastal community school like El Jardín. 

El Jardín is one of many coastal schools dedicated to providing quality education to local children. Learn more about El Jardín and how you can support the project here.

Debbie Slobe is a writer and communications strategist based in Chacala, Nayarit. She blogs at Mexpatmama.com and is a senior program director at Resource Media. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.

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