Monday, April 28, 2025

FT: China is withholding approval for BYD’s Mexico plant due to tech concerns

By
MND Staff
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6
BYD charging station
BYD, the world's largest electric vehicle maker, says its plans for a plant in Mexico, if realized, will create some 10,000 jobs. (@intern_SaharaAI/X)

The Chinese government is delaying approval for electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD to build a plant in Mexico amid concerns that the company’s smart car technology could be accessed by the United States, according to the Financial Times (FT).

Citing two people “familiar with the matter,” the London-based newspaper reported on Tuesday that Chinese automakers require approval from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce to manufacture outside China and that approval has not yet been granted.

A BYD factory
According to the Financial Times, fears of cyber “leaks” to the U.S. are holding up Chinese EV maker BYD’s plans to build a plant in Mexico. (BYD)

BYD, the world’s largest EV company, announced plans to open a plant in Mexico in 2023 and confirmed that intention in early 2024. The Shenzhen-based company said the plant would create around 10,000 jobs and produce 150,000 vehicles per year. BYD Americas CEO Stella Li has stressed that the vehicles would be sold only in the Mexican market — where 40,000 BYD cards were sold last year — but there is some doubt about that assertion.

Citing its two sources, FT reported that Chinese authorities fear Mexico would “gain unrestricted access to BYD’s advanced technology and know-how” if the company were to open a plant in Mexico. They said that Mexico could even possibly allow the United States to access that technology.

“The commerce ministry’s biggest concern is Mexico’s proximity to the U.S.,” one source told FT.

The newspaper’s two sources also said that Beijing is giving preference to projects in countries that are part of China’s Belt and Road initiative, a global infrastructure development strategy.

“Shifting geopolitical dynamics have also contributed to Mexico cooling on the plant,” FT reported.

Trump’s protectionist posture 

United States President Donald Trump has given potential investors in Mexico pause for thought by threatening to impose — and then briefly imposing — 25% tariffs on all imports from Mexico. Although Mexico has a free trade agreement with the United States and Canada, the USMCA, there is no certainty that Trump won’t reimpose blanket tariffs on Mexican goods at some point in the future.

BYD's global headquarters in Shenzhen, China
BYD, whose global headquarters is in Shenzhen, China, insists it has no intention of selling its cars to the United States from Mexico. (BYD)

Mexican steel and aluminum, and goods not covered by the USMCA, are currently subject to a 25% tax when entering the United States, and additional Mexican products — including cars — could be affected when the U.S. implements reciprocal tariffs early next month or other duties at a later date. Trump has specifically threatened to impose hefty tariffs on vehicles made in Mexico by Chinese companies.

While BYD has said it has no intention to export EVs to the United States from Mexico, the U.S. government’s increased protectionism could still be a factor in the Chinese Commerce Ministry’s decision to delay approval for the company’s proposed Mexico plant.

The possibility — or perhaps even strong probability — that Mexico will impose new tariffs on imports from China could be another factor.

Trump has accused Mexico of being a “backdoor” for Chinese products to enter the United States tariff-free. Late last year, he said he would “seek strong new protections against transshipment” in an updated USMCA “so that China and other countries cannot smuggle their products and auto parts into the United States tax-free through Mexico to the detriment of our workers and our supply chains.”

The Mexican government denies that Mexico is a transshipment hub, but has nevertheless imposed new tariffs on some imports from China such as textiles and clothing. It has also launched anti-dumping investigations into Chinese steel and aluminum products, while late last month, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that imposing additional tariffs on imports from countries with which Mexico doesn’t have free trade agreements, such as China, was an option.

Sheinbaum and other Mexican officials have asserted that their main motivation for imposing new tariffs is to protect Mexican industry rather than appease the United States. However, the government has also stressed that it prioritizes its trade relationship with the United States — where more than 80% of Mexican exports are sent — and Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard even said that Mexico would “mobilize all legitimate interests in favor of North America” amid the ongoing trade war between the United States and China.

In October, Sheinbaum was lobbied by a group of U.S. lawmakers to address “national security risks” associated with the capacity of Chinese “connected” vehicles to collect sensitive data.

Is Mexico being hostile toward China due to US pressure?

The Mexican government has made it clear that it wants to reduce Mexico’s reliance on imports from China and other Asian countries. Doing so, and strengthening Mexican industry, are central goals of the Plan México economic initiative announced by the government in January.

Sheinbaum March 19, 2025
At her Wednesday morning press conference, President Sheinbaum revealed that while BYD has “an investment proposal” for Mexico, its plan “was never anything formal.” (Mario Jasso/Cuartoscuro)

In addition to imposing new tariffs on imports from China, the Mexican government has refused to offer federal incentives to Chinese EV manufacturers planning to invest in Mexico, according to Mexican officials who spoke to Reuters almost a year ago. The officials told the news agency that the move was the result of pressure from the United States government, in particular the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The pressure has only increased since Trump returned to the White House in January.

One of FT’s sources said that “Mexico’s new government has taken a hostile attitude towards Chinese companies, making the situation even more challenging for BYD.”

Gregor Sebastian, a senior analyst with the United States-based consultancy Rhodium Group, told FT that “the Mexican government obviously would like to get some of the [proposed Chinese] investments, but [its] trading relationship with the U.S. is a lot more important.”

Sebastian, a member of Rhodium Group’s China Corporate Advisory Team who focuses on Chinese industrial policy and the EV industry, told FT that it doesn’t “make business sense” for BYD to expedite the construction of a new plant in Mexico. He pointed out that BYD would need to import numerous components from China to build cars in Mexico. The Mexican government could impose new tariffs on those parts, increasing costs for BYD.

Stella Li, the BYD Americas CEO, recently told FT that no decision had been made on the company’s proposed plant in Mexico.

“Every day is different news, so we just have to do our job,” she said.

“More study has to be done on how we can satisfy and improve to deliver the best result to everybody,” Li said.

Responding to the FT’s reporting at her Wednesday morning press conference, President Sheinbaum said that while BYD has “an investment proposal” for Mexico, its plan “was never anything formal.”

She said that Chinese companies can invest in Mexico, but stressed that Mexico prioritizes its relationship with its North American free trade partners.

A timeline of developments related to BYD’s proposed plant in Mexico 

  • BYD confirmed its intention to build a plant in Mexico in February 2024.
  • Stella Li said in February 2024 that the company would select a location for the plant by the end of the year.
  • Mexican officials told Reuters in April 2024 that pressure from United States authorities had led the Mexican government to refuse to offer incentives to Chinese EV manufacturers planning to invest in Mexico.
  • BYD México General Director Jorge Vallejo said last June that the company was in final negotiations over the location of its planned EV plant in Mexico.
  • Former Mexican ambassador to China Jorge Guajardo told Mexico News Daily in June that Chinese companies have “a long history of making investment announcements they don’t follow up on.”
  • Vallejo said in August that the company had narrowed the list of potential locations for the plant to three states, but didn’t reveal which ones.
  • Li said in September that BYD hadn’t postponed a final decision about its proposed Mexico plant, indicating at the time that an announcement of the factory’s location was scheduled before the end of 2024.
  • Vallejo said in August that BYD expected to sell 100,000 vehicles in Mexico in 2025.
  • President Sheinbaum said in November that there was “not yet any firm investment project [in Mexico] from any Chinese automotive company.”

With reports from the Financial Times

Who is Ronald Johnson, Trump’s pick for Mexican ambassador?

By
MND Staff
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27
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson
Ronald Johnson will shortly assume his new post as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. What can the country expect from the former Green Beret? (U.S. Embassy)

The news that Donald Trump has appointed veteran Ronald Johnson to Mexico marks a sea change in the way the United States is looking to deal with it’s southern neighbour. What should Mexicans expect from the new appointee in the coming years, asks María Meléndez?

Best known for his military and intelligence experience, Johnson is a former Green Beret and a veteran who specialized in unconventional warfare, counterinsurgency, and counterterrorism operations. After his military service, Johnson joined the CIA, where he dedicated over twenty years to intelligence operations in Latin America. His assignments involved disrupting drug trafficking networks and combating transnational organized crime.

Who is new U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson?

Under the previous Trump administration, Johnson worked as the U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, where he worked closely with strongman leader Nayib Bukele to counter gang violence, human trafficking and illegal migration in the beleaguered Central American nation. Critics, however, point to Johnson’s policies as fundamentally flawed and failing to deal with the the root causes of crime and instability.

Johnson’s appointment represents a significant change in U.S. diplomatic representation in Mexico. His background suggests a shift toward a greater focus on security collaboration between the two countries, rather than a a more traditional emphasis on political issues and cross-border trade. 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has expressed her desire to maintain a cooperative relationship with the new ambassador, though, despite rhetoric around the use of U.S. drone warfare against targets in the country. The threat of unilateral action has also seen her underline the importance of respecting Mexico and its sovereignty. 

Mexico News Daily

Why the ‘no’s’ are the best part of my Mexican life

By
Bel Woodhouse
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Bel Woodhouse on Cozumel beach
Why does Bel Woodhouse love it when Mexico tells her "no"? (Bel Woodhouse)

It’s been eight years of living in the Mexican Caribbean. And let’s just say that my life, because of the warm Mexican culture, is exactly what I wished for. My wish was to live a life of creativity, in complete freedom. Freedom to work when I want, how I want, as much as I want. Without judgement. 

The no’s are the best thing about living in Mexico. You may be wondering what I mean by “no’s”. That’s easy. 

vista of beach at Founders Park, Playa del Carmen
Life in paradise is full of the word “no,” explains Bel. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)
  • No judgment.
  • No stressful work environments.
  • No colorless grey life.
  • No sitting in traffic.
  • Best of all… no pants! 

That last one may have caused you to raise an eyebrow, but it’s harmless, I promise. 

No grey

A view of the clear blue water of Bacalar Lagoon, with mangroves on the shore.
No greys here. (Dimitris Kiriakakis/Unsplash)

Before coming to live in Mexico I was in the Royal Australian Navy. For many years, my life was grey. Grey ships and grey uniforms, oftentimes accompanied by a grey sky, leading to a drab grey mood. Nothing but a colorless grey existence. And some blue. After all, the ocean and sky are blue on sunny days. 

I’ll admit, it affects your mood. So when Mexico’s vibrant color and warm people welcomed me with open arms, I couldn’t resist being here. Originally it was going to be for a year. One year turned into two. Two turned into eight. I’m still here and loving it. 

No pants

Two pairs of feet on the Caribbean coastline
No pants (or military boots). (Bel Woodhouse)

When I left the Navy, I swore I’d never wear pants again. Heavy long pants and steel-capped boots are a thing of the past. Now my light and breezy life is full of colorful skirts and light summer dresses swaying and swishing on the sea breeze.

Paired with big beach hats, it’s a far cry from the past. Sandals have replaced the boots and are constantly removed to dig my toesies in the sand. It is one of the simple joys of life that still makes me smile. 

Unless you’ve spent years clunking around in heavy boots you may not understand but you’re smart people so I’m sure you get the jist of it. Just think back to a time when you walked barefoot along a beach and how relaxed you felt afterward. THAT is what I mean. 

No pants is probably the biggest blessing in my life and one I treasure daily. 

No judgment 

Everyone is welcome in Mexico, no judgement. (Mantamar)

The Mexican people’s warmth and acceptance nurtured my reawakened creativity. Which now swirls through my life like my swirly swishy skirts. Light and breezy, adapting and fluid, flexibility and freedom are now my life. 

Living here, you can live the life you want. 

Want to be a writer? Grab a book and pen and go sit by the ocean or in the local park. Or grab your laptop and curl up with a coffee or veggie juice at your favorite café. No one judges.

Want to be a photographer? Grab your camera and wander the streets, beaches or nature reserves. Sit in a park chatting with someone’s grandpa — one of my favorite things to do because, let’s face it, they have the best stories and enjoy being regaled by tales while you grab some great shots. Again, no one will care and it’s a delightful way to get to know your community. 

No stressful work environments 

Working from a bar
No offices. (Bel Woodhouse)

I’ll roll no stressful work environments and no sitting in traffic into one. Plus let’s throw in no irritating boss or superior. They all kind of go hand in hand.

I live in Cozumel. It’s walkable and a joy to walk around, so there’s no sitting in traffic or having to leave early to allow for it. Instead, I walk along the Caribbean seafront or go for a morning swim. I don’t know about you, but I much prefer to start my day this way. 

As for the boss… I’m the boss. My days are as flexible as I like. I work the hours I like, and as long as I meet deadlines, no one cares how my days are run. Plus, my work buddy is the cutest little purry snuggle buddy curled up by my side. That’s a step up from sweaty sailors in my book. 

I can work from anywhere I want. Today it’s a beach club. What’s your office look like today? This is mine. 

Can you relate? Do you dream of a life like this? Well then let me share that your dreams can come true. My dream did. The life I wanted while in the Navy. Don’t get me wrong, I am fiercely proud to have served. But I am also fiercely in love with my new Mexican Caribbean life full of wonderful ‘no’s’!

Mexico Correspondent for International Living, Bel is an experienced writer, author, photographer and videographer with 500+ articles published both in print and across digital platforms. Living in the Mexican Caribbean for over 7 years now she’s in love with Mexico and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon. 

Goodbye Patrick, hello Guinness birria

By
Stephen Randall
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0
Guinness birria tacos
It's not quite Mexican, but not quite Irish. It is however, absolutely delicious. (Canva)

The thing about birria is that it takes time. Real time. The kind of time that separates a disappointing meal from an experience that makes you want to weep into your plate. And yet, here we are, living in an era of 30-minute meals, air fryers and pre-packaged sadness.

But if you are reading this, you have chosen patience. You have chosen devotion. You have chosen birria. Birria, in its purest form, is slow-braised meat that collapses under the weight of a spoon, soaked in a broth so rich it could pay off your student loans. It is a dish of transformation: tough, sinewy beef turned into something super soft and absurdly flavorful.

A pint of Guinness
The secret to great Mexican food is to use probably the most un-Mexican ingredient going. (Guinness)

You still have a few Guinnesses in your fridge leftover from your St. Paddy’s party? Perfect. The hops bring just enough bitterness to balance the deep, earthy warmth of the chilis. The roasted barley hums in the background, adding a layer of smokiness to the consommé. The result is a broth so profound it might be the closest thing to spiritual enlightenment you will ever taste.

Now it’s taco time. You take a tortilla, dip it in the consommé and slap it onto a hot griddle. You add cheese— real cheese, the kind that melts into golden lace at the edges. Then comes the birria, dripping with its own glory. 

But the real move, the act that separates the amateurs from the believers, is the dunk. You take the taco and you plunge it back into the consommé. This act of taking your taco for a swim, it’s somehow way more satisfying than your dusty old French dip.

Guinness birria is the best of both worlds. It’s Mexico and Ireland, old and new, bitter and sweet, taco and soup, all meeting in the middle, all agreeing that for just one meal, there will be no compromises. Here’s to you, dear reader. Here’s to patience. Here’s to tacos. Here’s to consuming something good. Now go make this recipe and tell me what you think.

Guinness birria tacos

Quesadilla with birria
It’s Irish, Jim, but not as we know it. (Birriería y Taquería Liz)

Ingredients

For the birria

  • 3 lbs beef chuck roast or short ribs
  • 2 dried guajillo chilis, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried ancho chilis, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried chipotle chilis
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 bottle (12 oz) Guinness Stout
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the tacos

  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Lime wedges for serving

Instructions

  1. Rehydrate the chilis: Toast the dried chilis in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side. Soak them in hot water for 10 minutes.
  2. Make the sauce: Blend chilis with onion, garlic, vinegar and 1 cup of Guinness until smooth.
  3. Sear the meat: Salt and pepper the beef, then sear in a hot pot until browned.
  4. Braise: Add the blended sauce, beef broth, spices and the rest of the Guinness. Simmer on low for 3 to 4 hours.
  5. Shred: Remove the meat, shred it, and return it to the broth.
  6. Crisp the tacos: Dip tortillas in the birria consommé, fry them with cheese and shredded beef until crispy.
  7. Serve: Garnish with cilantro and lime. Slam dunk in consommé.

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.

Could the US send Mexican deportees to El Salvador? Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
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0
Claudia Sheinbaum at her daily press conference. She is gesturing with her thumb and forefinger to reporters as she speaks in the press briefing room at the National Palace
President Claudia Sheinbaum said that when the Trump administration said it would send arrested migrants to the U.S.'s Guatanamo Bay prison in Cuba, Mexico's government sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico stressing that Mexican deportees should always be sent to Mexico. (Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)

Could Mexicans in the United States be deported to El Salvador and locked up in President Nayib Bukele’s mega-prison? When will acapulqueños be able to get from A to B via a ferry service that traverses Acapulco’s glistening bay?

They were among the questions President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to at her Tuesday morning press conference.

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has begun taking custody of certain deportees from the U.S. into a giant, overcrowded, maximum-security prison known as CECOT, or the Terrorism Confinement Center.

Here is a recap of the president’s March 18 mañanera.

Mexicans deported from US ‘will always arrive to Mexico,’ says Sheinbaum

A reporter asked the president whether there was any possibility that Mexicans in the United States could be deported and sent to prison in El Salvador, as happened on Sunday to 238 Venezuelans who are alleged members of the Tren de Aragua crime gang.

Sheinbaum noted that when the Trump administration announced it would send some illegal and criminal immigrants to a detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, the Mexican government sent a diplomatic note to the United States Embassy in Mexico.

She said her government sent the note to express its view to the Trump administration that “no Mexican should be sent anywhere except Mexico.”

“They responded to the diplomatic note saying that as Mexico was accepting repatriated persons, [deported Mexicans] would return to Mexico,” Sheinbaum said.

President Sheinbaum during a daily press conference in the National Palace. She is holding her arms in front of her on either side as she speaks to reporters.
According to President Sheinbaum, Mexico has to date received 24,413 deportees since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. (Gustavo Alberto/Cuartoscuro)

“So we have certainty that any [Mexican] person in the United States that is deported … will always arrive to Mexico,” she said.

Sheinbaum said Monday that Mexico has received 24,413 deportees — 19,846 Mexicans and 4,567 foreigners — from the United States since U.S. President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20.

Anti-government bots ‘don’t have much impact’ 

After the federal government’s fake news debunker-in-chief Miguel Ángel Elorza Vásquez denounced the use of “opposition bots” to attack the government on social media, Sheinbaum weighed in on the issue.

“The truth is that they don’t have much impact,” she said, noting that she won last year’s presidential election by more than 30 points despite a lengthy social media campaign against her that made use of hashtags such as #NarcoCandidata (#NarcoCandidate).

“In any case, it’s very important to denounce it because someone is allocating resources [to attacking us on social media],” Sheinbaum said.

A boot next to a candle at a vigil for Mexico's disappeared
The grisly discovery on March 5 by civilians of a presumed cartel mass extermination camp in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, inspired vigils across Mexico on Friday and Saturday in which people arranged shoes in city squares to memorialize Mexico’s disappeared. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

Recently, the government has been attacked on the X social media platform in connection with the Teuchitlán case involving the discovery this month of burnt human remains along with more than 150 pairs of shoes and other discarded personal items at a property in the state of Jalisco.

Bots have driven the recent campaign against the government using hashtags such as #NarcoPresidenteAMLO and #NarcoPresidentaClaudia, according to Elorza.

He said that 20 million pesos (US $1 million) was spent on “this dirty campaign” in a period of just four days, he said.

Sheinbaum remarked: “Where [do they get] 20 million pesos in four days in order to make a trending topic, a fake trending topic?”

Aquatic public transport coming to Acapulco 

A reporter asked the president about the “Maribús” (Sea Bus) public transport project she announced in January.

A rendered photo of the Bay of Acapulco with several ships on the water and in the foreground a ferry boat with several rows of passengers in chairs traveling in the ferry.
A rendering of what the Maribús public transport would look like. It would allow crossings between the most distant parts of Acapulco Bay. (Government of Guerrero)

Sheinbaum said that the Maribús — which will ferry passengers to different parts of Acapulco and nearby coastal areas — “will be ready this year.”

She confirmed that the project is part of the long-term, 8-billion-peso hurricane recovery plan called “Transforming Acapulco with You.”

“We’re going to ask the admiral to come so that you see what the main stops are,” Sheinbaum said, referring to Navy Minister Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles.

“First, there will be a first phase that will be inaugurated this year, and then a second phase will come. The navy will operate [the ferry service]. If workers are needed, they’ll be hired,” she said.

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

Mexico arrests alleged MS-13 leader on FBI’s most wanted list

By
MND Staff
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0
Two police officers with their backs to the camera standing in front of a police sedan. Their jackets say "SSPC Investigacion." Between them is a man facing the camera with his arms cuffed behind his back. His eyes are digitally covered with a black bar to hide his identity.
The arrest of El Salvador native Francisco Javier Román Bardales in Veracruz was the combined effort of several Mexican ministries, the Attorney General's Office, and the military. (Omar García Harfuch/X)

An alleged senior leader of the MS-13 crime gang who appears on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list was arrested in Mexico on Monday, authorities said.

Francisco Javier Román Bardales — a 47-year-old Salvadoran national wanted in the United States for his alleged involvement in the direction of MS-13 activities in the U.S., Mexico, and El Salvador — was detained on the Teocelo-Baxtla highway in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, federal security authorities said in a statement.

Personnel with the army, navy, Federal Attorney General’s Office, National Guard and federal Security Ministry were involved in the suspect’s arrest, according to the statement issued by those institutions.

Róman is wanted in the United States on charges of “conspiracy to provide and conceal material support and resources to terrorists; narco-terrorism conspiracy; racketeering conspiracy; and alien smuggling conspiracy,” according to the FBI.

MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, is one of eight criminal organizations designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the United States government last month. The gang was founded by Salvadoran immigrants in the United States in the 1980s.

The Mexican authorities said that the arrest of Román was “the result of international cooperation work.”

They said that as part of bilateral cooperation with the United States and “upon developing lines of inquiry aimed at arresting generators of violence” they became aware that a suspect wanted by the FBI was operating around the area of Baxtla, a small town in the municipality of Teocelo, located south of state capital Xalapa.

As a result of the information obtained, the authorities said that security forces began carrying out “fixed, mobile and discreet” surveillance work aimed at locating Román, known as “El Veterano de Tribus” (The Veteran of Tribes) or simply “El Veterano.”

FBI Wanted Fugitive poster for Francisco Javier Roman Bardales shows a mugshot and statistical information about him, including that he is wanted by the U.S. government for conspiracy to provide and conceal material support and resources to terrorists
Román, 47, is Salvadoran. Mexican authorities said his arrest was “the result of international cooperation work.” (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

Consequently, Róman was identified and detained on the Teocelo-Baxtla highway, the statement said.

The authorities said Monday that the suspect would be transferred to Mexico City and subsequently deported to the United States. The deportation, or extradition as the FBI put it, has already happened.

FBI Director Kash Patel said on social media on Tuesday morning that Román was “being transported within the U.S. as we speak, where he will face American justice.”

“This is a major victory both for our law enforcement partners and for a safer America,” he said.

“Thank you to our brave personnel for executing the mission. And thank you to Mexico’s … [authorities] for their support of the FBI in this investigation and arrest,” Kash said.

The arrest and deportation of Román comes at a time when the United States is pressuring Mexico to do more to combat cartels and stop the flow of fentanyl and other drugs to the U.S. The most notable way in which the U.S. government has been exerting that pressure is via the threat of tariffs on imports from Mexico.

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum standing in front of a projection screen with reprints of articles from CBS News and the Associated Press about Mexico's drug cartels and the fentanyl crisis.
President Claudia Sheinbaum showed parts of a presentation she said she shared with Donald Trump to convince him to delay 25% tariffs earlier this month. To avoid tariffs, Mexico has been working hard to show U.S. officials results in hobbling its drug cartels. (Gustavo Alberto/Cuartoscuro)

President Claudia Sheinbaum has stressed that Mexico is willing to cooperate with the United States on security issues, but has made it clear that her government will not tolerate any violation of Mexican sovereignty.

Who is Francisco Javier Román Bardales? 

According to the FBI, Román was born in the city of Ahuachapán, El Salvador, on Dec. 2, 1977.

“He is alleged to be a senior leader of MS-13,” the FBI says on his wanted page for the suspect.

“Román Bardales has been charged with several offenses for his alleged role in ordering numerous acts of violence against civilians and rival gang members, as well as his role in drug distribution and extortion schemes in the United States and El Salvador,” the FBI said.

“A federal arrest warrant was issued for Román Bardales in the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York, Central Islip, New York, on September 22, 2022, after he was charged with Conspiracy to Provide and Conceal Material Support and Resources to Terrorists; Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy; Racketeering Conspiracy; and Alien Smuggling Conspiracy,” the FBI said.

Aerial view of downtown Ahuachapán, El Salvador. Lines of cars are parked along the sidewalk bordering a church courtyard on a street corner.
Román is originally from Ahuachapán, one of the most important cities in western El Salvador. (Daniel Ramos/Wikimedia Commons)

It was not immediately clear how long the suspect had been in Mexico, a country he presumably entered from the United States. Citing a legal file on the suspect, the Milenio newspaper reported that Román was sent to Mexico by other MS-13 leaders to liaise with Mexican cartels on behalf of the criminal organization.

He was added to the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list in late February, and as of Tuesday afternoon still appears on it albeit with the word “captured” superimposed on his photograph. U.S. authorities were offering a reward of up to US $250,000 for information leading to his arrest.

The FBI said on social media on Tuesday that the extradition of Román to the United States was “a major victory” and “enhances the safety of communities across America.”

His deportation comes less than three weeks after Mexico extradited 29 significant cartel figures, including notorious drug lord and former FBI “most wanted fugitive” Rafael Caro Quintero to the United States.

At least one other man on the FBI’s “10 Most Wanted Fugitives” list — former Canadian Olympian Ryan James Wedding — is believed to be in Mexico. He is wanted in the United States for “allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking network.”

Mexico News Daily  

OECD forecasts Mexico recession in 2025-2026; Sheinbaum pushes back

By
MND Staff
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5
Woman in a Mexican supermarket holding cans of food in her hands while a little boy with her sits on the floor next to her and grabs a can on the lowest shelf.
Could Mexico be heading into a recession? The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development thinks so, despite the fact that inflation has steadily lowered in the last several months. (Elizabeth Ruiz/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico’s economy could decline by 1.3% in 2025 and 0.6% in 2026, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said in a new report issued Monday. That prediction makes Mexico the OECD’s only member country projected to enter a recession in those two years.

The OECD’s Interim Economic Outlook downgraded its GDP prediction for Mexico’s economy from its previous December growth forecast of 1.2% in 2025 and 1.6% in 2026. 

OECD chart listing all the countries in the OECD and all the countries in its membership with predictions for real GDP growth projections for 2024, 2025, and 2026. 20 countries listed, plus the Euro area, the G20 and overall real GDP growth projections for those years for the world
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is predicting a 1.3% decline in Mexico’s economy in 2025 and a further 0.6% decline in 2026. The predictions are downgrades from OECD’s slightly rosier projections in December. (OECD)

The new prediction is based on the expectation that 25% U.S. tariffs on the importation of most Mexican goods will be implemented starting in April. 

The OECD’s projections 

The OECD’s current 2025 and 2026 predictions for Mexico’s inflation rate are currently: 

  • 2025: 4.4%
  • 2026: 3.5%

Mexico’s annual headline rate in February was 3.77%, up from 3.59% in January, according to the national statistics agency INEGI. Month-over-month inflation was 0.28%.

Meanwhile, the OECD predicted Mexico’s year-on-year real gross domestic product (GDP) growth to be in negative percentages for 2025 and 2026:

  • 2025 -1.3%
  • 2026 -0.6%

The outlook also forecasts that the United States GDP will grow by 2.2% in 2025 and 1.6% in 2026, while Canada’s economy will expand by 0.7% in both years.

The organization predicts that all North American countries will experience lower economic growth than the average global GDP growth of 3.1% in 2025 and 3% in 2026.

Mexico’s response: ‘We have a plan’

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum questioned the role of international organizations such as the OECD in making these types of economic predictions.

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum at the presidential podium in the National Palace. She is talking to reporters in the press briefing room and holding her right hand up, palm upward in a gesture
President Claudia Sheinbaum questioned the role of organizations like the OECD in making forecasts about Mexico’s economy. “Maybe they should suggest what to do instead of just releasing these news reports when we still don’t know if they will actually happen,” she said at her Tuesday press conference. (Moisés Pablo Nava/Cuartoscuro)

“It doesn’t help that these organizations say, ‘We foresee that there may be a recession.’ Maybe they should suggest what to do instead of just releasing these news reports when we still don’t know if they will actually happen,” Sheinbaum said during her Tuesday morning press conference.

The president reiterated her government’s priority of strengthening investments and avoiding debt.

“Many countries opted for debt during the economic crisis resulting from the pandemic and are still experiencing the consequences of that decision. Here, [Mexico’s former] president López Obrador decided not to go into debt, to reduce spending, and with those savings, boost the economy from the bottom up. That is the project we have,” Sheinbaum stated.

Sheinbaum also emphasized the importance of her “Plan México” in attracting private investment and strengthening Mexico’s manufacturing sector.

“We have a plan that we are working intensively on. I meet once a week to review progress, and there is a working group of various ministries to expedite any stalled investment-related procedures. The goal is to stop importing and [instead] produce in Mexico through various means,” the president explained. 

“And on the other hand, we have to wait until April 2nd to see how [the U.S. tariff issue] will play out for Mexico,” she added.  

With reports from La Jornada and El Economista

US destroyer ship in Gulf waters is ‘not an attack on Mexico,’ says Sheinbaum

By
MND Staff
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19
The USS Gravely
The Gravely — an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer — previously served in the Red Seas in the Middle East, tasked with shooting down missiles fired by Houthi rebels. (@USNorthernCmd/X)

A U.S. Navy warship was deployed to the Mexico-United States border to counter illegal immigration, drug and weapons trafficking, as well as transnational crime, the Pentagon announced on Monday.

The USS Gravely departed Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Virginia, on Saturday, embarking with a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment (LEDET) with orders to participate in operations within U.S. and international waters, according to a U.S. Department of Defense press release.

On Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the U.S. government had informed her of the operation before the Gravely set sail. She said the U.S. warship will not enter Mexican waters and will adhere to international navigation regulations.

“[The U.S.] is within its rights to do this,” she said. “It would have been bad if they had not advised us or if they entered national waters … but this is not an attack on Mexico.” 

The U.S. Department of Defense described the move as a significant shift in its approach to border control, giving the U.S. Navy a direct role in stopping threats before they reach U.S. shores.

The Gravely — an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer — previously served in the Red Seas in the Middle East, tasked with shooting down missiles fired by Houthi rebels.

“The deployment of Gravely marks a vital enhancement to our nation’s border security framework,” Admiral Daryl Caudle of the U.S. Naval Forces Northern Command, said.

According to a U.S. Navy press release, the warship is heading to the waters off the U.S. Gulf Coast as part of the military’s response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order and national emergency declaration to secure the nation’s border with Mexico.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Monday that the goal is to achieve “100% operational control” over the United States’ southern borders, adding that “the naval presence is part of the mission of the USS Gravely to secure maritime routes and defend our southern borders.”

Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, the operations boss for the Joint Staff, who was briefing alongside Parnell, said that the ship will “be involved in the interdiction mission for any of the drugs and whatnot that are heading in.”

Pentagon officials did not offer details as to why a Navy destroyer, and not a Coast Guard cutter, was chosen for the mission, especially after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he wouldn’t rule out conducting air strikes over Mexico.

The Arleigh Burke-class of destroyer features an Aegis Combat System and is able to conduct anti-aircraft warfare with surface-to-air missiles, tactical land strikes with Tomahawk missiles, anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare with ship-to-ship missiles and guns. In all, these destroyers can carry up to 96 missiles.

The deployment of the Gravely is designed to provide support to the thousands of active-duty U.S. troops ordered to the U.S.-Mexico border since Trump took office on Jan. 20. Nearly 10,000 U.S. service members are scheduled to be deployed at the border, according to U.S. Northern Command. 

With reports from NPR, El Financiero, El Universal and Military.com

Environment Ministry declares 3 Maya communities natural protected areas

By
MND Staff
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1
Mexico's Environment Minister, Alicia Barcena, a middle-aged woman with graying hair stands next to an unidentified Mexican man holding a framed enlarged document of certification of Sacpukenha as one of three new Maya protected areas. Around them are other people smiling into the camera.
Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena, second from left, presenting a certificate to Sacpukenhá, Yucatan, designating the Maya community as a protected area. With her is Yucatan Gov. Joaquín Díaz Mena, right. (@aliciabarcena/X)

Three Maya communities in the state of Yucatán have been added to the list of Protected Natural Areas (ANP) by Mexico’s Environment and Natural Resources Ministry (Semarnat).

The head of the ministry, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, was joined by Yucatán Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena in presenting certificates to the ejidos (communally owned lands) of Sacpukenhá, Chan Dzitnup and San Agustín, recognizing the efforts of Maya communities who — on their own initiative — have opted to carry out conservation actions in the area.

Decorative, three-dimensional sign for the Yucatan municipality of Tekax, home to three Maya communities that have been made natural protected areas by Mexico's federal government.
All three protected areas are Maya communities on communally owned land, located in the municipality of Tekax. (Wikimedia Commons)

An ejido is a form of communal land tenure in Mexico, primarily used for agriculture. The three awardees are all located in the municipality of Tekax.

“These areas are a clear example that conservation is not only the government’s responsibility, but a collective effort where Indigenous peoples, social organizations and committed citizens become guardians of our environment,” Bárcena stated during the Monday ceremony in San Agustín.

Last year,  Bárcena attended a conference in Colombia and addressed plans to expand Mexico’s protected lands through partnerships with Indigenous communities.

The certificates were presented within the Puuc State Biocultural Reserve, a unique area that highlights the interplay between the environment and culture in the region. This reserve is the first to receive the “biocultural” designation, emphasizing the influence of natural resources on the worldview, artistic expressions and religious practices of the Maya communities.

According to a press release from October, Mexico has more than 230 federally protected natural areas (ANPs), each managed by the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp). Including national parks, biosphere reserves and designated areas that protect flora, fauna and other natural resources, these lands comprise a total of 98 million hectares, roughly the size of the state of Oregon.

Governor Díaz Mena emphasized that the new protected areas are part of Yucatán’s natural heritage and Maya identity, which must be preserved for future generations. The areas also support local economies by promoting sustainable tourism and agriculture, he added.

Piece of Mayan forest land in Yucatan, part of the Puuc Biocultural Reserve protected area, partially cleared by heavy machinery seen in the foreground. Men in red uniform polo shirts are placing official seals declaring the work stoppage. There are bulldozed trees everywhere in the photo lying on the ground.
The environmental measures taken independently by the three Maya communities are perhaps all the more impressive given how about two hours north, in the community of San Antonio, environmental officials had to step in earlier this month to stop illegal land clearing. The town is located within the Puuc Biocultural Reserve. (Profepa)

“Yucatán is a natural heritage that will also be a legacy for your children and grandchildren,” he said. 

The Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) recently closed forestry activities in the Puuc Biocultural Reserve due to illegal land use changes, the agency announced in a March 3 press release.

Profepa inspectors found two sites with unauthorized clearing of natural vegetation and seized heavy machinery used in that activity. The transgressions occurred in the municipality of Tekax.

“The ultimate goal of our procedure is for those responsible to repair the damage,” said Mariana Boy Tamborell, a federal attorney for environmental protection who was also involved in last week’s story about Profepa shutting down dolphin shows at the Hotel Barceló in the Riviera Maya.

“This action underscores the ongoing efforts to balance environmental protection with community needs in the region, ensuring that conservation efforts benefit both the environment and local communities,” Boy added.

With reports from La Jornada and Imagen Radio

Authorities seize 9 kilometers of illegal totoaba fishing nets in the Gulf of California

By
MND Staff
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4
An illegal fishing net used to fish totoaba
Fishing for totoaba, an endangered species endemic to the Gulf of California, is illegal in Mexico. (@PROFEPA_Mx/X)

Over the weekend, Mexican authorities operating in the northern Gulf of California dismantled more than 9,000 meters of mesh nets which had trapped 3,500 kilograms of endangered totoaba fish.

The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), the Navy and the National Fisheries and Fishing Commission (Conapesca) found the illegal nets early Sunday morning near the town of San Felipe, Baja California.

In a press release, the government reported that 79 totoaba fish were found trapped in the netting, only seven of which were still alive. The authorities released the seven back into the water.

Fishing for totoaba — a species of marine fish endemic to the Gulf of California in Mexico — is illegal. Once abundant in the area, the totoaba — which can reach a size of two meters (6.6 ft) and weigh up to 135 kilograms (300 pounds) — is now considered endangered due to human-related threats, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The primary reason for the recent overfishing of the totoaba is the demand for the fish’s swim bladder, an organ that helps the fish control its buoyancy. 

In addition to being considered a delicacy in Asia, traditional Chinese medicine holds that these swim bladders, known as “fish maws,” are believed to have numerous health benefits, including promoting longevity and vitality. 

The increase in demand over the past 20 years has caused the price of totoaba swim bladders to skyrocket on the black market — up to US $8,000 per kg, according to the newspaper Milenio — earning it the nickname “cocaine of the sea.”

During the weekend operation, Profepa destroyed more than 23 kg (50 pounds) of swim bladder.

Vaquita
Illegal fishing for totoaba puts the near-extinct vaquita porpoise at even greater risk since they can easily get stuck in fishing nets. (Dolphin Discovery)

The indiscriminate fishing methods have also proven deadly for the elusive vaquita, a species of porpoise found only in the northern Gulf of California that is on the brink of extinction. The most recent vaquita census found only six to eight specimens in Mexican waters.

In 2023, the Mexican government initiated a series of actions to halt illegal fishing activities and protect its last remaining vaquitas. 

According to a December 2024 report, Conapesca has established more than 730 random checkpoints, with inspections carried out at warehouses, collection centres, freezers, fish markets and restaurants. The operation includes the inspection of more than 5,190 small vessels upon departure and arrival.

Prior to the recent operation in San Felipe, the agency had destroyed more than 130 fishing rigs, including 38,000 meters of prohibited nets and 30 traps and/or cages.

With reports from Milenio, N+ and Oceanographic

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