Where are Los Cabos restaurants getting their fresh, organic ingredients? Right at home

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May 17, 2025

An outdoor restaurant with lots of vegetation in the foreground, including sunflowers. In the background, one can see waitstaff in black aprons and white shirts at work. — Waitstaff on duty at Flora's Field Kitchen, a restaurant in Animas Bajas, Baja California Sur. Its produce, meat and dairy are obtained from its own nearby farms. (Flora Farms)

Los Cabos has always boasted an abundance of fresh local seafood, but over the past two decades, local produce and meats have also become staples at many area restaurants — certainly in the municipality’s best restaurants.

Although not an agricultural powerhouse, Los Cabos does produce a significant amount of organic produce.

A farmer's market store at Flora Farms near San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur in Mexico. In a canopied outdoor one-room structure, shelves of wooden crates display an overflowing amount of varied fresh, healthy produce. — Los Cabos is not Mexico’s biggest agricultural producer, but it is Mexico’s biggest producer of organic agriculture. (Flora Farms)

“We are the number one region in Mexico that produces organic vegetables and fruit,” Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, told Travel Pulse Canada. “Everything is for local consumption; we don’t export.”

Los Cabos’ acclaimed farm-to-table food scene

Nowhere is the ethos of local produce for local consumption more evident than in the municipality’s acclaimed farm-to-table restaurants. Flora Farms was the first, with Gloria and Patrick Greene pioneering the trend when they bought land in Ánimas Bajas, just outside San José del Cabo, in 1992.

Flora’s Field Kitchen opened in 2010. Today, the 135 or so types of fruits, vegetables and herbs grown on the seven-acre farm and neighboring ranch are reserved for use at the restaurant or Flora Farms market, or for employees or owners of the property’s culinary cottages; if they grow too much of anything, it’s donated to the local orphanage or other good causes.

The restaurant dictates what’s grown organically during the farm’s extended 10-month growing season. Crops are rotated often, no pesticides are used and companion planting keeps the soil fertile. For example, corn takes nitrogen out of the soil, so it’s planted with beans, which puts nitrogen back in the ground.

Meanwhile, the adjacent 120-acre ranch raises free-range pigs and sheep with just enough cows to produce dairy for burrata and ice cream. However, they aren’t culled for beef, and due to concerns about carbon dioxide emissions, their numbers are kept to a minimum.

A Mexican bartender wearing a leather apron over a black t-shirt and a bandanna holding back his hair is in the middle of mixing a clear-looking cocktail in a tall glass. — A bartender at Acre, where produce from the restaurant’s farm even makes it into some of the cocktails. (Acre)

Flora Farms and Acre, another Ánimas Bajas-based restaurant, are the most famous of the now numerous Los Cabos farm-to-table operations. Produce grown on Acre’s 20-acre farm provides the backbone of Acre Restaurant & Cocktail Bar — yes, cocktails too, including the figs in its Fig Collins. Meats and seafood are sourced from sustainable local producers.

The organic farming capital of Los Cabos

San José del Cabo, Miraflores and Santiago represent Los Cabos’ arable farm belt. The production in these areas has a long history. As Alba E. Gámez points out in her historical account in “Los Cabos: Prospective for a Natural and Tourism Paradise,” a century ago, San José del Cabo ranchers were managing 24,000 heads of cattle while farmers produced 90 tons of tomatoes along with 690 tons of the piloncillo — unrefined cane sugar — that was once a staple in San José and Santiago.

Nowadays, Miraflores, a town of about 1,500 residents, is Los Cabos’ undisputed organic farming capital, producing crops that grace many a restaurant table in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. Grower Carlos Manuel González produces about 70 organic products at his Miraflores property, including tomatoes, beets, carrots, radish, lettuce and basil.

Cabo San Lucas has never been able to grow much of anything, but it has always been known for the quality and quantity of its seafood. For much of the 20th century, its now-closed cannery was a major seafood source in Mexico, at its peak accounting for 75% of the nation’s canned seafood products.

Agricultural, ranching and seafood production in Los Cabos

How much meat, fish and produce does Los Cabos account for annually? More than most tourists would imagine. In 2023, the municipality had just under 5,000 acres devoted to farming, but grew over 24,000 tons of produce. Tomatoes and mangoes, two local specialties, accounted for about two-thirds of the total.

Nearly 4 million liters of milk were produced locally in 2023, along with almost 130 tons of eggs. Cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and chickens form the backbone of Los Cabos’ ranches. Commercial fishing is increasingly rare: Over 90% of permits are issued for sport fishing, and Los Cabos now accounts for less than 1% of commercial fish caught in Baja California Sur.

Still, it does produce nearly 300 tons of fish annually for local restaurants, most of which are scale fish and clams. Almejas, or chocolate clams, are a Baja favorite.

Los Cabos beekeepers also produce nearly 75% of the state’s honey. Flora Farms, for example, maintains 48 beehives.

Almejas chocolatas get their name from the color of their shell, not from any rich sweetness. (Villa del Palmar)

Where can you find organic produce and locally sourced meat and fish in Los Cabos?

Summertime is fresh-fruit season in Baja California Sur. The harvest of the most locally emblematic of these fruits, mangos and pitahayas, is celebrated with signature seasonal events. The Festival de la Pitahaya, which is always scheduled for mid-July, is an occasion to celebrate local food in Miraflores. The Festival del Mango is held in Todos Santos, part of the neighboring La Paz municipality. Last year, the festival ran from July 31 to August 4. Given how close together these festivals occur, some summer visitors attend both.

Local farm-to-table restaurants are the best bet for those seeking sustainable food with a certifiable provenance. However, Los Cabos is one of five municipalities in Baja California Sur, and all, including La Paz, are sources of superb produce, meat and seafood, meaning many local restaurants boast at least a few fresh offerings.

Granted, if you go to a local pizzeria or Italian restaurant, you may not see a lot of local produce. However, as tomatoes are a regional specialty, they may have fresh sauce and homemade pasta. But any restaurant of note, including those in luxury hotels in Los Cabos, likely gets its fruits and vegetables from Miraflores. Much of the local seafood is also regionally sourced.

But outside of farm-to-table restaurants and others, like The Woods Cabo, that may source some produce and herbs from onsite gardens, you’ll have to check with your waiter to find out what’s fresh and what isn’t.

Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily. His specialty is travel-related content and lifestyle features focused on food, wine and golf.

The new pope, Mexico and me

By

Sarah DeVries

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May 17, 2025

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A crowd in St. Peter's Square watching the first public address of Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV. Above their shoulders, an exuberant Mexican man holds a Mexican flag in front of his chest as he watches. — Among the faithful in St. Peter's Square, a Mexican expresses his joy at witnessing Pope Leo XIV's introduction to the public. (Marco Iacobucci Epp/Shutterstock)

I am not really a religious person. I followed, predictably, the sociological trajectory of many people who attend liberal churches as kids. They grow and become more educated, which leads them inevitably to identify as “agnostic.”

If you’re like me, you were snarky about it at first. When I was fresh out of college, I’d openly roll my eyes at any kind of religious displays. I watched and rewatched Bill Maher’s “Religulous“ and Ricky Gervais’ “The Invention of Lying,” which I still count as excellent movies.

Religulous - The Final Message

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Comedian Bill Maher’s film Religulous was part of the writer’s journey toward agnosticism.

Faith and belief, I thought, were for suckers, and those who promoted them were being dishonest. What did I think religion was? The opium of the masses, the sigh of the oppressed creature, to quote Marx a couple of times. It was also a convenient system for keeping women subservient to men — for the record, I still think this.

But as the years have passed, my views have softened, as has the veil that lies between what I say I believe and how I actually behave.

In the end, my ethics are indeed the product of the Judeo-Christian worldview and upbringing, no matter how many times I may have rolled my eyes. These can be summarized pretty easily:

Love justice and your neighbor.
Help those less fortunate than you, even when everyone else gives them the stinkeye.
Turn the other cheek.
Treat others the way you’d like to be treated.
There is no greater show of love and devotion than sacrifice.

You don’t have to be Christian to be a good Christian, especially given there’s so much overlap among the world’s major religions — as well as basic humanist ethics.

A very particular strain of liberation theology has stuck with me — and, apparently, with the new pope, which makes me happy.

Pope Leo XIV waving to the public in St. Peter's Square after being shown to the public for the first time as the Catholic Church's new pope. He is wearing the Pope's official regalia. Beside him sit two church officials in vestments — The writer notes that while Pope Leo XIV grew up as Robert Prevost in the U.S., he has spent most of his adult life in Latin America. That fact has inspired a sense of kinship for her in the new pope. (Vatican)

Now that I’ve grown even older, I lean a bit closer to Emile Durkheim‘s views on religion than to Karl Marx’s. Religion serves some important social functions, independent of actual belief.

The church is an important institution. At its best, it’s a true community, an extended family, a support group of people with shared values. It can provide meaning and purpose and be a source of feelings of true belonging. Without it, it’s easy for people to feel unmoored from each other.

That said, I am not part of a church. When I go home to Texas, I attend the Unitarian services when I can. It’s a nice community and a place where you go, feel welcome and aren’t expected to spend money. I joke that the Unitarian Church is the ideal religious home for agnostics: It serves the social purpose of a church without the dogma.

In my city, there is no Unitarian church. I occasionally go to Mass with my partner, though, a devout Catholic. The priest has never wowed me with his sermons, but I listen anyway and like being around people.

I also love watching all the gestures of the worshippers — crossing themselves and kissing their thumbs in a dizzying array of combinations. Having never attended catechism classes, I don’t know them myself, but who knows? Maybe I’ll learn eventually.

Though I’m not Catholic — or much of a believer at all — I recognize the importance the Church holds in Mexico. Its ceremonies and rites of passage mark important moments of people’s lives: baptisms, first communions, weddings, funerals, even pilgrimages. In an increasingly agnostic world, close to 80% of Mexicans say they’re Catholic. After Brazil, Mexico has the world’s greatest number of practicing Catholics.

So the election of a new pope is a big deal for practicing Catholics. Much to the world’s surprise, he’s American — a first.

But there’s an important asterisk next to “American.” While Robert Francis Prevost grew up in Chicago, he spent much of his adult life in Peru and became a Peruvian citizen.

In that sense, I’d count him as “American” in the most expansive meaning of the word: a citizen of “the Americas,” not just the United States. The fact that a man who might represent both the U.S. and Latin America was surely a consideration in his election. He was a great choice.

It also makes me feel a kind of kinship with him. We both grew up in the States but have made our lives in Latin America, adopting the language and many aspects of the culture. Many of you, readers, have done the same. While we claim the United States as our own, we also claim Latin America. It is also our home, also part of who we are.

📢 LA ÚLTIMA ENTREVISTA A PREVOST EN PERÚ ANTES DE CONVERTIRSE EN EL PAPA LEÓN XIV🌍

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Robert Prevost giving his last media interview in Peru in 2023 as the archbishop of Chiclayo. He is speaking about Peru’s challenges in the aftermath of anti-government protests following the ouster of then-president Pedro Castillo. He called for peace and reconciliation.

Pope Leo XIV, when he addressed the public in St. Peter’s Square for the first time, did so in Italian. He said a few things in Spanish too — a special saludo to his Peruvian faithful, where he was the archbishop of Chiclayo. He did not speak in English. That is okay, and that is also telling. It was a message: “The U.S. may get special consideration for all kinds of other things, but not for this. In this case, it’s not more special than anyone else.”

So far, this new pope seems a lot like the old pope: unafraid to confront injustice and happy to stand up for those less fortunate, even if they’re not Catholics, or even Christians. His views seem to hew closely to liberation theology, as do my own.

Me and Bob do not agree on everything, I’m certain. But that’s all right. Though the dynamics of social media might have us think otherwise, you don’t have to agree on all the same things in order to respect or get along with another person, or wish them well.

For now, I’m just happy we seem to have gotten a good one: someone not just from “America,” but truly a child of “the Americas.”

Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.

Taste of Mexico: Mole de olla

By

María Meléndez

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May 17, 2025

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A bowl of mole de olla displayed close up in the center of a table in a food photography style. On the table are also a potholder made of natural fibers and a traditional woven Mexican textile featuring multicolor thin striping. — Mole de olla is the ultimate Mexican comfort dish, packed with fresh vegetables, juicy meat and a touch of nostalgia. (Sergio Hayashi/Shutterstock)

Amigos, I’ve reached a point where I find myself doing things my mom used to do — things I swore I would never do. This week, during one of the hottest weeks of the year, I prepared the warmest dish I could think of, just like my mom and many other Mexican moms would do. I nearly melted from the heat, but it was totally worth it to enjoy a delicious bowl of mole de olla.

Mole de olla is one of my favorite Mexican dishes. It’s easy to eat, delicious and very nutritious. And it’s important to note that it has absolutely nothing to do with the mole you might be thinking of, like mole poblano or Oaxacan mole.

An aerial view of an elderly Mexican woman in a traditional apron and a blue cardigan stirring a large, traditional clay bowl of mole poblano. — If when you hear the word “mole,” you think of this, get that image right out of your mind. Mole de olla is totally different. (Marco Ortiz-MOF/Shutterstock)

What is mole de olla?

Mole de olla is essentially a soup made with a protein (such as beef, pork or chicken) and various vegetables. The broth is created from the meat used in the dish, along with a chili-based paste.

Every region in Mexico has its own variations on the ingredients and cooking techniques, but all mole de olla recipes include meat, chayote, carrots, potatoes, green beans, corn, xoconostle (a type of prickly pear) and a chili paste made with tomatoes and dried chiles like guajillo or chipotle. The most popular version is made with beef, particularly cuts with meat and bone like chambarete (shank) or other flavorful cuts.

Is it really a mole?

Quick answer: yes.

In a previous article, we discussed what mole is. It’s essentially a sauce or paste made from various ingredients, and the base of this particular dish is a chili paste.

Photo of a stockpot with a light, slightly fatty orange broth and chicken parts, chorizo, chickpeas, pork, carrots and cabbage. — Mole de olla is a Mexican adaptation of the Spanish dish puchero, also a stew/soup loaded with meat and vegetables. (AI-generated image)

Mole de olla may remind you of Spanish pucheros — traditional, hearty broths that include chickpeas, potatoes, meat and legumes. Mole de olla is an adaptation of the puchero, incorporating ingredients native to this region. Therefore, we can confidently say that mole de olla is a 100% mestizo dish.

Once you try it, you’ll never go back!

Mole de olla has a unique flavor: The broth, packed with richness, is slightly spicy due to the dried chiles. Freshness comes from the vegetables. The “substance” we refer to in Mexico comes from the tender, juicy chunks of meat.

Eating mole de olla is like having a religious experience.

Nutridelicious!

A single bowl provides vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, iron, folic acid, protein, fiber and carbohydrates. The hardest part is to have just one bowl.

Hopefully, by now I’ve convinced you that mole de olla is a true culinary gem. So here’s how to make it.

A bowl of mole de olla in a traditional mexican ceramic bowl. — Nutrient-packed, mole de olla is the ultimate comfort dish and the pride of Mexican mothers everywhere. (El Poder del Consumidor.org)

Mole de Olla (serves 6)

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Une publication partagée par Mexico News Daily (@mexiconewsdaily)

Ingredients

For the broth and meat:

1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) beef with bone (ask your butcher for chambarete or beef shank)
1 marrow bone (hello collagen!)
2 liters (8 cups) of water
1 medium onion
1 sprig of epazote
4 xoconostles, peeled, cored and chopped
2 garlic cloves
3 ears of corn cut into chunks

For the sauce:

3 dried ancho chiles, roasted and seeded
3 dried pasilla chiles, roasted and seeded
1 piece of onion
2 garlic cloves.

For the vegetables:

3 carrots, chopped
5 zucchinis, sliced thick
1/2 kilo (1 lb) green beans, trimmed
2 chayotes, cubed

For serving:

• Lime halves

• Fresh corn tortillas

An image of a serving of Mexico's classic dish mole de olla — a vegetable and beef soup or stew — seen here in a traditional cast iron serving dish — Mole de olla is such a classic, Mexico’s Agriculture Ministry has called it “the pride of Mexico.” (SADER)

Directions

1. Cook the meat

In a large pot, combine the meat, water, onion, epazote, xoconostles and garlic. Bring the mixture to a boil and skim off any foam. Cook the meat until tender, about 2 hours.

2. Make the chili sauce

Soak the chiles in hot water until softened, then blend them with onion and garlic until smooth. Strain the mixture and set aside.

3. Cook the vegetables

Cook the vegetables separately in salted water or add them directly to the broth, depending on their cooking times. Corn and carrots take longer, while zucchinis and green beans cook more quickly.

4. Combine ingredients

Once the meat is tender, add the strained chili sauce to the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add the vegetables and cook for 5-10 minutes more until it’s all just tender but still holds its shape.

5. Optional: chochoyones

Some versions include small masa dumplings called chochoyones. To make them, mix corn masa with a bit of lard, salt and chopped epazote. Form the mixture into small balls, make a dimple in each one with your finger and add them to the pot at the end of the cooking process.

Serve the mole de olla piping hot in deep bowls. Include a generous piece of meat, lots of the vegetables and plenty of broth in each serving.

For a complete experience, provide chopped onion, lime wedges and freshly made corn tortillas on the side.

María Meléndez is a Mexico City food blogger and influencer.

Observations from my recent US-Mexico border crossings: A perspective from our CEO

By

Travis Bembenek

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May 17, 2025

31

A welcome sign to Tijuana, Mexico — A Tijuana sign welcomes travelers leaving the U.S. (Courtesy of Travis Bembenek)

Two weeks ago my wife and I had the opportunity to attend Mexico’s annual Tianguis Turístico (National Tourism Fair). For the first time ever, events for the fair were going to be held in both the United States and Mexico. We jumped at the opportunity to check out the event and see firsthand what seemed to be some great cooperation between the two countries at a time when much more coordination would be mutually beneficial.

The events were held in Tijuana and San Diego, which gave us the added benefits of checking out Tijuana for the first time as well as getting a feel for the San Diego/Tijuana metropolitan area of nearly 5 million people. The area in many ways acts like one big city, with an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 students, workers, tourists and health care patients crossing the border each and every day. I have always wondered how such a massive flow of people can co-exist alongside a significantly fortified wall.

San Ysidro border crossing in San Diego/Tijuana — The San Ysidro port of entry is one of four border crossings in the San Diego-Tijuana metropolitan area, where over 100,000 people cross between Mexico and the U.S. every day. (U.S. Green Building Council)

I estimate that I have “crossed the border” over 250 times over the past 30 years, but every single time prior to this trip was in the sky via an airplane. Surprisingly, I have never had the opportunity to actually see the northern border of Mexico, much less cross it by car or on foot. I have, however, had the opportunity to see and cross the southern border.

Years ago, I crossed from Mexico into Guatemala while walking through coffee plantations in the Chiapas city of Cacahoatán with a machete-wielding local (he said it was for the snakes, I’m not so sure). Starting in Chiapas, we walked through fields of coffee plants right into Guatemala with not a fence or border guard in sight. The only way we knew we had in fact crossed the border was from white painted cement posts about every quarter mile or so. Quite an experience, but to tell at another time.

Back in Tijuana, I had the opportunity to cross the border several times, on foot and by car — thankfully with our newly hired San Diego-based writer driving instead of me.

To be clear, I am in no way intending to trivialize or minimize the journeys and struggles of so many millions of people who have crossed (or attempted to cross) the border when compared to my experience. I am also not advocating for open borders — I simply want to share my personal experiences from this trip.

Border crossing No. 1: From Tijuana to San Diego walking via the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) bridge

Upon arrival at the Tijuana airport from our local BJX airport in Guanajuato, we took the CBX. I had heard this was “the way to do it” and after a bit of confusion around if I should buy our CBX tickets separately or at the same time as our plane tickets — we did it separately — we chose this crossing option. I must say that it was a surreal experience.

Less than 15 minutes after deboarding the plane in Tijuana, we were in our U.S. rental car on our way to San Diego! We walked out of the plane, followed the CBX signage, scanned our pre-purchased CBX QR code in a machine and walked about 100 yards to the United States though an elevated tunnel. At the end of the tunnel we handed the U.S. border control agent our passports for a brief moment and literally a minute later were in the U.S. talking to the rental car company representative.

After seeing and reading so many stories about the border over the years, it didn’t even seem possible and took us a while to realize that we actually had landed in Mexico on a domestic flight and minutes later were now driving a car in the U.S.

Border crossing No. 2: Driving from San Diego to Tijuana (on two separate mornings)

I really wasn’t sure what to expect on this crossing. I have read the articles in MND about how border agents in the U.S. and Mexico have recently stepped up patrols of illegal firearms heading into Mexico from the north, so I was expecting to be stopped. We first drove through the U.S. side of the border, having to slow way down but never actually coming to a complete stop. There were lots of fancy-looking machines on one side that I guess were built for people with U.S. passports, but they weren’t working and I was told that they have never yet been operational despite having been installed over a year ago. We drove without stopping through the U.S. border, drove maybe a hundred yards in the “no man’s land” and then came to the Mexican border.

The Tijuana San Diego border wall — Border walls and fences keep people out of buffer zone between the two countries. (Travis Bembenek)

At the Mexican border, we again only had to slow down due to the all-too-familiar topes (speed bumps) greeting us to Mexico. Although Mexican border patrol agents were stopping an occasional car, we were not stopped and just rolled right through. We never once had to talk to anyone or show our passports on either side of the border. Our friend driving us said that in his several decades of driving south, he has never once been stopped. Total time from our hotel in San Diego across the border and into Tijuana was less than 20 minutes. Amazing.

Once in Tijuana, it is like we had landed on another planet — everything was different. I must say that Tijuana was better than I expected given the quite negative pre-conceived notions that I had about the city and the border area in general. It was a massive city literally mashed up against the border wall with countless restaurants, bars, strip clubs, pharmacies, banks, plastic surgery clinics, dentists, hospitals and other health care clinics. I couldn’t help but feel that this was a sad first impression of Mexico for so many Americans and equally an odd stereotype for Mexicans of what Americans are wanting to cross into another country for.

Within just a few yards of crossing into Mexico, we took a hard right turn and headed along the wall directly towards the ocean. It was a weird experience, driving along the see-through double metal wall (with U.S. soldiers actively installing razor wire in between the two walls). All within just a few hundred yards of driving one goes from U.S. commercial buildings through a militarized border zone to a new city with Viagra sold on nearly every corner.

We drove to where the wall goes out into the ocean, parked the car and walked around a bit. It was a heavy feeling — sad actually. I couldn’t help but think that the birds perched on the wall could freely go back and forth between the two countries, the fish in the water as well, but we humans haven’t been able to figure out how to live as neighbors without walls. Perhaps that sounds naive, but it’s what I thought in the moment as I put my hand on the wall and reflected on U.S.-Mexico relations.

Border friendship garden along the Mexico border wall — Art and photographs decorate a binational friendship garden built in 2007. (Travis Bembenek)

There were pictures of kids from both San Diego and Tijuana who had created and planted a “friendship garden” together on the Mexican side of the border in 2007. A sign said that the purpose of the garden was to “create a place where people can make friends across the border.” I don’t say this in any way as a political statement or commentary, but it feels like in many ways we haven’t progressed a lot since then. I say that as a human being, not as a Republican or Democrat.

I was offered to be taken to the part of the border where family members from both sides can actually hug each other through the wall from opposite sides of the wall. I declined to see that — it would be too painful to see. Perhaps I should have gone to see it. Perhaps more people should see it.

Border crossing No. 3: Driving from Tijuana back into San Diego

This was the border crossing that I guess I was most looking forward to. Outside of the comfy confines of the CBX tunnel bridge, what would it be like to cross back into the United States? We have all read the recent headlines — the border has been sealed nearly shut, very few illegal immigrants are crossing anymore and both Mexico and the U.S. have sent troops to the border to assist in controlling and stopping drug and human trafficking.

It feels like half of Tijuana’s streets are actually just lanes preparing and positioning you to cross the border. Having Global Entry, we went with our friend into the SENTRI lines. He confidently told us that, in several decades, he has never once been stopped for inspection.

As we approached the U.S. border, we handed our friend our passports and he handed them and his Global Entry/SENTRI card to the border patrol agent. She immediately asked us, “Where are the other two SENTRI cards?

“My wife and I both have Global Entry and the new passports with chips in them,” I responded, thinking the passport chips had the Global Entry/SENTRI card “incorporated” into them. Turns out I was wrong, very wrong… and we were waved into secondary inspection.

As we rolled into the secondary inspection area, it was now U.S. military troops telling us what to do. Troops with guns and fatigues, who told us to first very slowly drive our car through what looked like a giant airport metal detector. We then were told (not asked) to drive the car to another area and get out of the car to be questioned. Four agents did a deep inspection of our car, tapping the doors, pushing down on the seats, checking under the car, under the hood and in the trunk. Drug sniffing dogs helped. My wife and I were brought up on computer screens and asked a series of questions. The whole process took some 30 minutes.

Of course we had nothing to hide and made an honest mistake, but it felt awkward, uncomfortable, intimidating. We were always treated with respect, but it wasn’t a fun experience. Not the greatest reception back into our country either.

Travis Bembenek stands in front of the border wall in Tijuana where it meets the ocean — Mexico News Daily CEO Travis Bembenek at western-most end of the border wall. (Travis Bembenek)

For those that frequently cross the border, perhaps my experiences are ones that you have seen and experienced many times before. For those that have not, it’s worth seeing, feeling and experiencing first hand.

For those of you who have been to Berlin, Germany, and seen where the wall once was — dividing a city into two separate countries — it’s hard to imagine that could have actually happened. I couldn’t help but hope that a future generation of Mexicans and Americans can someday look back and only imagine what it must have been like when there was a wall separating the communities of San Diego and Tijuana.

Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.

Why do US agencies vet Mexican police? Friday’s mañanera recapped

By

MND Staff

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May 16, 2025

3

Sheinbaum at her morning press conference — Sheinbaum's last mañanera of the week covered binational security cooperation, media criticism and the proposed U.S. remittance tax. (Presidencia)

At her final morning press conference of the week, President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about the vetting of Mexican security forces by the U.S. government and media criticism of her administration, among other issues.

Mexico’s first female president also reiterated that her government will always defend the interests of the Mexican people.

Why do United States agencies vet Mexican police?

A reporter asked the president why United States agencies vet “ministerial police” in Mexico.

The question came two days after United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that the “ICE Homeland Security Investigations vetted unit” within the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Federal Attorney General’s Office had dismantled “three large-scale synthetic drug production labs in Sinaloa.”

Sheinbaum said that “certification” of Mexican security forces by U.S. authorities is “something that has been around for a long time.”

“… This vetting of the Criminal Investigation Agency … started long before President Andrés Manuel López Obrador,” she said, referring to her predecessor.

Three large-scale synthetic drug production labs in Sinaloa were dismantled with narcotics and chemical precursors seized in an operation led by the ICE Homeland Security Investigations vetted unit within the Government of Mexico, Fiscalia General de la Republica, Agencia de… pic.twitter.com/H9X1fafWbu

— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) May 14, 2025

The vetting of Mexican security forces by United States agencies began after Mexico and the U.S. launched the Mérida Initiative security cooperation agreement in 2008. It is essentially an attempt to ensure that Mexican security force members — particularly those who collaborate with and receive intelligence, training and equipment from U.S. authorities — are not corrupt and don’t have links to organized crime groups.

The United States Department of State noted that “activities” under the now-defunct Mérida initiative agreement included “the establishment of anti-corruption programs that include vetting of police personnel.”

The vetting initiative has not always been as successful as the U.S. government would have liked.

According to a 2021 Brookings Institution article, the Mexican government has insisted on “higher-level Mexican officials” being exempt from U.S. vetting. That insistence, Brookings said, created “disastrous effects for collaboration, meaningful law enforcement, and the safety of Mexican civilians.”

Mexico’s “top cop” during the 2006-12 administration of former president Felipe Calderón — ex-security minister Genaro García Luna — was sentenced to 38 years in prison in the United States last October after he was convicted of colluding with the Sinaloa Cartel. García Luna worked closely with U.S. law enforcement authorities during his now heavily tainted tenure as security minister.

Asked on Friday whether Mexico vets any police in the United States, Sheinbaum responded that it does not, but highlighted that Mexican authorities provide “information” to their U.S. counterparts that aid operations on the “other side of the border.”

Sheinbaum points to a letter about US agents cooperation with Mexican police — At the morning press conference, Sheinbaum shared a letter from the U.S. Embassy correcting a journalist who shared misinformation about U.S. agents operating in Mexico. (Presidencia)

Mexican intelligence recently led to a seizure of narcotics and firearms in Arizona, she said.

Asked whether she thinks U.S. vetting of Mexican security forces is “good” or something that should be “canceled,” Sheinbaum avoided giving a direct response.

“We’ll have to ask the attorney general what sense this vetting has, and [he] can inform,” she said.

‘Whatever we do, they will criticize us’

A reporter asked the president whether sections of the media had engaged in a “campaign” to “alarm” Mexicans “about a supposed United States intervention” while depicting her administration as a “weak government that doesn’t defend the sovereignty” of Mexico.

The question came after ICE’s social media post announcing the dismantling of drug labs in Sinaloa sparked claims that U.S. agents were involved in the operation in the northern state. Some media outlets initially reported that ICE led the operation when in fact it was led by an ICE-vetted unit of Mexico’s Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC).

Sheinbaum said she didn’t know what the “objective” of some sections of media was with their reporting.

AIC agents and soldiers transport a prisoner in a bullet proof vest. — The Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC), shown collaborating with the Mexican Army in a 2018 operation, is Mexico’s top domestic intelligence and security service. (FGR/X)

“Whatever we do, they will criticize us,” she said, referring to certain media outlets and individual commentators.

“If I had gone to the funeral events of Pope Francis, they would have criticized me. As I didn’t go, they criticize me as well,” Sheinbaum said.

“They’re [always] going to criticize us because they don’t agree with our government and what we represent,” she said.

**‘I don’t represent Claudia Sheinbaum; la presidenta represents her people’**

In an extended response to the question about the alleged media scare campaign, Sheinbaum went on to reiterate that her government cooperates and collaborates with the U.S. government, but “doesn’t accept subordination.”

“We have communication with the government of the United States on a lot of issues,” she said, citing the screwworm issue and tariffs as examples.

Sheinbaum said that the “main” bilateral issue her government is currently focused on is the legislative proposal in the United States to impose a 5% tax on remittances sent out of the country by non-citizen immigrants.

President Sheinbaum shares a presentation showing a section of a law — During her morning press conference, Sheinbaum shared sections of a Mexico-U.S. tax agreement to argue against the proposed U.S. remittance tax. (Presidencia)

The president is vehemently opposed to the imposition of a tax on remittances, part of a massive tax and immigration package whose advance to the U.S. House of Representatives’ floor was blocked on Friday. She is also opposed to a range of other U.S. measures, including the imposition of tariffs on Mexican products and President Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiative.

Nevertheless, Sheinbaum stressed that “our idea is to have the best relationship possible with the United States.”

That relationship, she added, must be “a relationship of respect and not of subordination.”

“… That has been the history of our convictions and it won’t change while I’m president of the republic, never,” Sheinbaum said.

“Besides, we represent the people of Mexico. I don’t represent Claudia Sheinbaum; la presidenta represents her people and we will always defend the people of Mexico, the nation and the homeland,” she said.

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

Customs agents strike slows operations in Mexico’s largest international trade port

By

MND Staff

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May 16, 2025

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Workers strike at the port of Colima. — Manzanillo port resumed operations Friday following a weeklong customs labor dispute. (El rayo aduanero/X)

Order was restored and full operations resumed at the Pacific Coast port of Manzanillo on Friday, after authorities suppressed a labor strike that began Monday.

National Guard troops, aided by federal security forces, secured the affected areas and removed striking customs employees who were blocking points of entry to the port.

#Entérate
Cerca de 100 trabajadores y funcionarios de la aduana marítima realizan bloqueo al puerto, denuncian abuso, acoso y maltrato laboral y exigen renuncia del nuevo titular de la aduana en #Manzanillo, Rodolfo Torres Chávez. pic.twitter.com/fBDo6i3gLR

— Diario de Colima (@Diario_deColima) May 12, 2025

An unspecified number of strikers were apprehended, according to Reforma newspaper. Authorities did not provide details about the arrests or specify what charges the picketers might face.

Before dawn Friday, port authorities issued a statement saying the “demonstration that blocked access to Manzanillo Customs has concluded,” adding that operations were expected to resume at 6 a.m.

Authorities also urged all port users to remain alert for official communications.

The port of Manzanillo, Colima, is Mexico’s top port by revenue and the second-largest by cargo volume.

Customs personnel initiated their protest on Monday morning, denouncing violations of their labor contract, accusing management of abuse and harassment.

Omar Chávez, a customs employee, told local news outlet Origen Informativo that some employees were being forced to work 16-hour shifts while being denied overtime pay and lunch breaks.

Negotiations produced a quick agreement Monday afternoon, but management was almost immediately accused of failing to honor it, prompting an escalation of the strike.

In addition to blocking access points, strikers added new demands, including the removal of customs administrator Rodolfo Torres Chávez and the reinstatement of four employees allegedly fired for their actions Monday.

Aerial shot of Manzanillo port. — Manzanillo, Mexico’s top port by revenue, is vital for global trade. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)

Torres has been the Manzanillo port administrator for just one month, replacing Mario Alberto Limas, who had been in charge from Jan. 16 to April 15. The Naval Ministry (SEMAR), which oversees all aspects of port development, administration and planning, did not provide a reason for the change.

Unnamed federal authorities cited by El Universal newspaper said Monday’s strike was prompted by the dismissal of five customs employees accused of corruption, but port authorities did not mention this in official communications.

SEMAR announced it will continue to monitor the situation to guarantee the security of port operations.

During the strike, port stakeholders were in constant communication with port authorities to mitigate the impact. Customs brokers advised transporters not to send import and export units to the port, while juggling schedules, waiving late fees and additional charges, and reassigning appointments even as dispatches and vessel operations continued.

Miguel Ángel Landeros, president of the Mexican Foreign Trade Council (COMCE), said port administrators must take steps to prevent such situations from occurring.

“Foreign trade is the cornerstone of Mexico’s economy,” he said. “[Port security] is a matter of national security. … Even one day’s closure represents the loss of millions of pesos.”

COMCE said that as of Thursday 1,500 transportation operations had been impacted.

With reports from Reforma, Proceso, El Universal and El Economista

ProPublica: US looks to revoke visas of Mexican politicians with alleged cartel ties

By

MND Staff

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May 16, 2025

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A US flag and visa — The U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act allows visa bans for suspected drug collaborators. (Shutterstock)

The Trump administration has begun revoking U.S. visas for Mexican politicians it believes are linked to the drug trade, including high-profile members of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s ruling Morena party, according to a new ProPublica investigation.

The list of targets includes Mexican state governors and allies of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, signaling a sharp escalation in bilateral tensions.

Last weekend, Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila revealed her visa was canceled in recent weeks, as was the visa of her husband, Carlos Torres Torres, a member of Mexico’s lower house of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, from 2006 to 2009.

According to longtime journalist Adela Navarro, editor-in-chief of Tijuana’s Zeta Weekly, the governor is “collateral damage” in a U.S. probe targeting her husband and her brother-in-law, Luis Alfonso Torres.

Navarro said in an interview on Radio Fórmula the two brothers are under investigation for their potential involvement in a case of stolen fuel that reportedly entered Mexico illegally from Texas.

“What we were told [by unnamed sources inside] the State Department was that she would be collateral damage. In the United States, they often do this by disabling the inner circle of the person of interest,” the journalist said. “The ones they are investigating are Carlos Torres and his brother.”

Zeta Weekly in Tijuana reported that Baja California Governor Ávila’s visa revocation was “collateral damage” in a U.S. investigation into her husband’s alleged fuel smuggling activity. (Carlos Torres/Facebook)

The question that persists in Mexico, “particularly among the overwhelming Morena wing,” Navarro wrote in a piece for Zeta Weekly, “is whether President Sheinbaum will save the reputation of [Governor Ávila] by interceding with the U.S. government to have her B1/B2 tourist visa reactivated.”

Torres’ visa was revoked at the Tijuana border crossing about three weeks ago, according to Zeta Weekly, with the governor notified later “via consular service” that hers was being revoked, too.

The ProPublica report, published Thursday, said the “Trump administration has begun to impose travel restrictions and other sanctions on prominent Mexican politicians whom it believes are linked to drug corruption,” information the report attributed to U.S. officials.

The report added: “U.S. officials said they expect more Mexicans to be targeted as the administration works through a list of several dozen political figures who have been identified by law enforcement and intelligence agencies as having ties to the drug trade.”

All of this coincides with a report released Thursday by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in which an entity codenamed Operation Top Fuel (Liquid Death) links Mexican cartels to a multibillion-dollar fuel theft ring.

The 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment notes that criminal organizations like the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel smuggle stolen Pemex fuel to finance narcotics operations.

A Navy seaman stands guard in front of a tanker ship — A Navy seaman stands guard after a fuel smuggling bust in Tamaulipas. Fuel smuggling, known as huachicol in Mexico, is a major income source for organized crime. (SEMAR)

“This black-market petroleum smuggling operation is the primary means by which the Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) finances its networks,” the DEA wrote.

According to ProPublica, the operation that snagged Ávila and Torres revives a 2019 DEA list of “several dozen” Mexican officials compiled after López Obrador began shutting down Mexico’s cooperation with the U.S. in counterdrug programs.

Seeking to “identify Mexican government figures who could be criminally prosecuted for aiding drug traffickers,” the earlier effort led to the 2019 indictment and 2024 conviction of ex-Security Chief Genaro García Luna.

As for Ávila, opposition lawmakers such as National Action Party (PAN) Deputy Federico Döring have urged her to “step down” and “use that time to clarify what she needs to clarify with U.S. authorities.”

“Why? What argument do you have?” Sheinbaum countered.

Ávila denied having foreign bank accounts — “they don’t exist,” she said — but remained silent on her husband’s finances. The U.S. Embassy declined to comment, citing visa privacy rules.

The White House initiative invokes Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, allowing visa bans for suspected drug collaborators. ProPublica reported Treasury sanctions freezing U.S. assets could follow.

The operation is being overseen by White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and Deputy Homeland Security Adviser Anthony Salisbury, noted ProPublica.

Former Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhaan warned in the ProPublica report that the crackdown risks inflaming tensions.

“It gives [Sheinbaum] — a nationalistic president with a very chauvinistic party behind her — a perfect excuse to say that everything bad that’s happening in Mexico … is because of U.S. imperialism,” he said.

With reports from Proceso, El Sol de México, LatinUS, Radio Fórmula and Zeta Tijuana

Pacific hurricane season is officially underway. Are you prepared?

By

MND Staff

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May 16, 2025

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Image of hurricane. — Though no storms are forecast yet, officials are stressing readiness as hurricane season opens.(Shutterstock)

Pacific hurricane season has officially begun and though no tropical cyclones are currently predicted, authorities warned Pacific coastal residents to stay informed and be ready for the coming storms.

The 2025 hurricane season began on May 15 in the northeast Pacific Ocean. The season will kick off June 1 in the Atlantic Ocean. On both coasts, the season ends on November 30.

Flooding in Acapulco after Tropical Storm John — Mexico hopes to avoid the large-scale disaster of past storms, like Hurricane John last year in Acapulco. (Cuartoscuro)

Although these dates are statistically established, authorities warn that tropical cyclones can form before or after this period, and urge the public to stay informed and prepared.

Authorities announced the start of hurricane season to raise awareness in vulnerable communities and to boost prevention strategies. Between May and August, state and municipal authorities intensify Civil Protection efforts, including information campaigns, drills, preventive evacuations and river dredging to mitigate the risk of flooding.

Hurricane preparation

According to Conagua and Civil Protection, the best defense against hurricanes is early preparation. Recommendations include:

Inspecting your roof and windows for leaks before storms develop
Have a hurricane kit with first aid supplies, a radio with regularly charged batteries and important documents stored in a water-proof bag.
Know your evacuation routes and establish family meet-up points.
Follow official sources like SMN and Conagua for information and avoid spreading rumors.

Which states are the most vulnerable to hurricanes?

Coastal states are most vulnerable to hurricanes, while states in central Mexico are somewhat sheltered behind mountain slopes — the Sierra Madres act as natural barriers that weaken the winds and disrupt the circulation of a cyclone. Winds can unleash their full power in flat areas.

Areas with low-income communities are particularly exposed. According to weather news outlet Meteored, over 48% of Mexican municipalities live in poverty, which is where disasters commonly occur, especially in the southern states. Vulnerability is further compounded by heavy rainfall, deterioration of watersheds, deforestation and environmental degradation.

On average, tropical cyclones account for 86.5% of the annual disaster costs in Mexico, mainly due to the large quantities of water they produce. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active on record, with 30 named storms, prompting weather forecasters to use Greek letters to name additional systems.

With reports from Vanguardia and El Sol de la Laguna

New report ranks Mexico as one of the best countries for retirees

By

MND Staff

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May 16, 2025

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Sunset in San Miguel de Allende — Retirees praise Mexico, and towns like San Miguel de Allende (pictured) for affordability, natural beauty and friendly locals. (Lauren King/Unsplash)

In news that will come as no surprise to retirees in Mexico, International Living has rated the country as one of the best places in the world to retire.

Mexico ranked fourth in the world among retirement destinations, according to the Global Retirement Index 2025.

The report, conducted by research company Mercer, analyzed over 40 countries to determine which offer the best retirement conditions. Mexico stands out as a country combining a low cost of living, good access to health care, a pleasant climate and ease of integration into local communities.

The malecón in Chapala, one of Mexico's popular destinations for retirees. — Scenic view of The Malecón in Chapala, a top retirement destination in Mexico.

“Mexico is a vibrant and diverse retirement destination,” the report says. “The country combines affordability, culture, and warm communities, making it a perennial favorite for North American expats.”

The Index draws from first-hand experiences of Mercer’s correspondents and contributors who have lived in these retirement destinations for years. “They’re not tourists or casual observers,” the report says. “They’re embedded in the communities they report on.”

The results are based on 43 indicators grouped into four major categories:

Financial security, which considers access to pensions, social security and savings capacity.
Health, which includes quality of medical care, life expectancy and healthcare infrastructure.
Quality of life, which looks into the environment, basic services and water and air quality.
Personal well-being, which involves happiness, satisfaction, access to community and social life.

Mexico’s results highlight the wide array of destinations for expats to choose from. The report mentions destinations like the UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Miguel de Allende, the cities of Guanajuato and Querétaro, both up-and-coming wine and gourmet destinations, the sandy beaches of the Riviera Maya, or the towns around Lake Chapala.

Addressing safety concerns, Mexico correspondent Bel Woodhouse said the country is a safe and rewarding retirement destination “provided you use common sense.”

For Woodhouse, Mexico has allowed her to live her dream life.

“Overall, Mexico ticks all the boxes for me. The abundant natural beauty, warm and friendly people, amazing food, healthier lifestyle, and low cost of living allow me to live the life I always dreamed of,” Woodhouse said.

Besides Mexico, the top 10 of the best countries to retire include Panamá (No. 1) Portugal (No. 2), Costa Rica (No. 3), Francia (No. 5), Spain (No. 6) Malaysia (No. 7), Greece (No. 8), Italy (No. 9) and Thailand (No. 10).

Mexico News Daily