Near this stretch of the Lacantún River in the Mexican state of Chiapas, archaeologists have identified remnants of what they believe to be the Maya city of Sak-Bahlán. (Josuhé Lozada Toledo/ courtesy INAH)
With the help of 17th-century writings by a Spanish friar, archaeologists believe they have located Sak-Bahlán — the long-lost final stronghold of the Lacandón Maya rebels — deep in the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas.
Abandoned more than 300 years ago, the fortified jungle city was the last independent settlement of the Lacandón-Ch’olti’ Maya after the Spanish captured their capital, Lacam-Tún, in 1586.
The expedition, led by Josuhé Lozada Toledo of INAH, had modern technology at their disposal, but also needed good old-fashioned hiking skills for their jungle search. (Josuhé Lozada /Facebook)
The Lacandón Maya resisted conquest for 110 years before Spanish friars and soldiers subdued Sak-Bahlán in 1695 and renamed it Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (Our Lady of Sorrows).
The site was abandoned in 1721 and swallowed up by the jungle, its exact location long eluding historians and explorers, including a 1999 expedition with noted Belgian historian Jan de Vos.
Now, however, researchers say they pinpointed it using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) model designed by Josuhé Lozada Toledo of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
“I took information from the chronicle of friar Diego de Rivas, from 1698,” Lozada said, referring to letters by the Spaniard that described the route to and from Sak-Bahlán in the 1690s.
“From those places mentioned, which I had georeferenced, I made a conversion of the four days mentioned … and obtained an approximate range of where the Sak-Bahlán site could be located.”
The model combined data on terrain, rivers, vegetation and the carrying load of travelers. De Rivas’ account described a four-day trek from the city to the Lacantún River, plus canoe trips to the Pasión River and onward to Lake Petén Itzá in Guatemala.
“I estimated how far a Maya would walk to get, for example, from Bonampak to Yaxchilán, or from Palenque to Bonampak,” he explained. “I developed an algorithm that allows me to calculate how many kilometers a person walks through the jungle in one hour.”
Fieldwork near the Jataté and Ixcán rivers revealed structures, pottery shards and other remains consistent with colonial-era accounts.
According to an INAH press release, the site is now registered as “Sol y paraíso. Probablemente Sak-Bahlán,” or “Sun and Paradise. Probably Sak-Bahlán.”
Reaching the site was arduous, Lozada said, but researchers were rewarded when they found archeological remnants at the end of their journey. (Josuhé Lozada/ CINAH Chiapas)
Sak-Bahlán translates to “White Jaguar” in the Ch’olti’ language, a now-extinct branch of the Mayan language family spoken in this region.
An article detailing Lozada’s predictive model was published this week in the academic journal Chicomoztoc, and excavations, led by Lozada with Brent Woodfill of Winthrop University in South Carolina and Yuko Shiratori of Rissho University in Japan, will continue in 2026.
INAH said Lozada’s research project — which could reshape understanding of Maya resistance and survival — has been partially funded by the Discovery Channel.
In 2023, the network’s “Expedition Unknown” series included an episode titled “Lost City of the White Jaguar” (see a clip here). Featuring footage of the archaeological work and early findings at the site, the full episode is on Discovery+, Max, Plex and other platforms.
President Sheinbaum celebrated the reduction in poverty Mexico experienced under her predecessor, after new INEGI data showed that 13 million Mexicans rose out of poverty during López Obrador's time in office. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)
The reduction in poverty during the sexenio (six-year term) of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and the arrest of a former CEO of Pemex were among the issues President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about at her Thursday morning press conference.
Here is a recap of the president’s Aug. 14 mañanera.
Sheinbaum highlights reduction in poverty during AMLO’s term
Sheinbaum presented data from a new national statistics agency (INEGI) report that shows that 38.5 million people were living in poverty in Mexico in 2024, down from 51.9 million in 2018.
Of the 38.5 million people living in poverty last year, 31.5 million were in a situation of “moderate” poverty and 7 million were in a situation of “extreme” poverty, according to the INEGI data.
Sheinbaum noted that “more than 13 million people were lifted out of poverty” during the six-year term of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).
She highlighted that the percentage of Mexico’s population living in poverty declined from 41.9% in 2018 to 29.6% in 2024.
Sheinbaum credited the “Fourth Transformation,” the political movement started by her mentor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, for Mexico’s recent progress against poverty. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)
“Do we still have progress to make? Yes. It’s obvious that with 30% of the population in Mexico living in poverty, we have to keep advancing,” Sheinbaum said.
Still, “this reduction in poverty is a feat of the fourth transformation,” she said, referring to the Morena party-led political movement that has been in power since López Obrador took office in late 2018.
“It shows that the model works because it reduced poverty and inequality as well. In other words, there is greater distribution of wealth,” she said.
Sheinbaum said that the reduction in poverty was the result of the increase to the minimum wage in recent years — it almost tripled during AMLO’s term — government welfare programs and “access to rights” for citizens.
“We have to be very proud as Mexicans because this indicator speaks of the essence of our project — humanism. A humanist project is demonstrated in this, in the reduction of poverty,” she said.
“And we’re certain that we’re going to continue making progress. That’s why we talk about continuity and the advance of the fourth transformation,” Sheinbaum said.
Without COVID, poverty reduction would probably have been greater, says Sheinbaum
A reporter asked the president whether the reduction in poverty would have been “significantly greater” during AMLO’s sexenio if the COVID pandemic hadn’t occurred.
“It’s probable,” Sheinbaum responded.
“Remember that during the pandemic, due to the closure of companies that had to be done to avoid infections, GDP fell about 8% in 2020, a very sharp decline,” she said.
Poverty levels increased at the start of the pandemic but fell in the later years of AMLO’s tenure. (Saúl López Escorcia/Presidencia)
However, after the sharp economic contraction in 2020, the economy recovered in 2021 and 2022, the president said.
INEGI data shows that the number of people living in poverty fell to 46.8 million in 2022 from 55.7 million in 2020. The decline continued between 2022 and 2024, with the number of people living in poverty in Mexico falling to 38.5 million people last year, as noted above.
Sheinbaum announces arrest in US of former CEO of Pemex
Sheinbaum announced that a former CEO of Pemex was arrested in the United States on Wednesday on corruption charges. She didn’t initially name the CEO she was referring to, but later confirmed it was Carlos Alberto Treviño, head of Pemex during the final year of Enrique Peña Nieto’s 2012-18 presidency.
Sheinbaum confirmed that former Pemex CEO Carlos Alberto Treviño was arrested in the U.S. and will be tried in Mexico on corruption charges. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)
“They’re going to deport him and he will be tried here in Mexico on corruption issues,” Sheinbaum said.
Part of the centuries-old manuscript, signed by Cortés himself, was found to be missing from Mexico's National Archives in 1993. (Gaceta UNAM/USA en español/X)
A stolen manuscript signed by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés is back in Mexico after a binational investigation traced the document to the U.S.
Nearly five centuries after Cortés affixed his signature to the page, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) handed the priceless cultural artifact back to Mexico.
Today, the FBI returned a stolen manuscript signed by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés to the government of Mexico.
The repatriation of this priceless cultural artifact—which authorities believe was stolen in the 1980s or 1990s—was the result of close collaboration between… pic.twitter.com/OCuOIOqkUm
In a press release, U.S. Special Agent Jessica Dittmer, described the document as “an original manuscript page that was actually signed by Hernán Cortés on February 20, 1527.”
A member of the FBI’s Art Crime Team based in New York City, Dittmer said the document “outlines the payment of pesos of common gold for expenses in preparation for discovery of the spice lands.”
The manuscript also contains a detailed accounting of the logistics related to Cortés’ journey to what eventually became New Spain.
“Pieces like this are considered protected cultural property and represent valuable moments in Mexico’s history,” Dittmer said.
The newspaper The Guardian reported that the document was signed “just days before one of Cortés’ top lieutenants was appointed co-governor of the conquered territory.”
The Guardian further described 1527 as “a key year for the formation of royal and religious institutions that would rule over the Indigenous peoples of Mexico until its 1810-21 war of independence.”
The repatriation of the priceless document was the result of close collaboration between the FBI, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the U.S. Department of Justice and the Mexican government.
“This could not have been possible without the collaboration of … the FBI’s attaché office in Mexico … a valuable liaison between FBI personnel within the United States and … our foreign partners,” said NYPD Det. Rigel Zeledon, who helped Dittmer with the investigation.
Investigators believe the manuscript was stolen in the 1980s or 1990s, identifying the presence of wax numbering marks, a system used by Mexican archivists at that time. The FBI said these exacting details not only helped investigators find the document but also helped to authenticate it.
The manuscript was signed in 1527, just six years after the fall of Tenochtitlán (modern day Mexico City). Pictured: A 1650 painting by an unknown artist depicts the fall of Tenochtitlán. (Wikimedia Commons)
The FBI said Mexico’s National Archives “originally counted the repatriated manuscript among a collection of historical documents hand-signed by Cortés,” only to realize that 15 pages of the document was missing when an inventory was carried out while microfilming the collection in October 1993.
However, Mexico did not request the assistance of the FBI’s art crime team until last year, asking for help in finding the particular page returned on Wednesday.
The FBI says it is resolved to locate and repatriate the other missing pages.
“The United States — for better or for worse — is one of the largest, if not the largest, consumer of art and antiquities,” FBI Supervisory Special Agent Veh Bezdikian said in the press release. “We know how important it is for the United States to stay ahead of this, to support our foreign partners, and to try and make an impact as it relates to the trafficking of these artistic works and antiquities.”
The FBI said that open-source research suggested the missing manuscript was located in the continental United States, with the investigation narrowing in on stakeholders formerly and currently in possession of the manuscript page.
Investigators declined to disclose who was in possession of the document. And because they determined that the manuscript “changed hands several times over” in the decades since its disappearance, the FBI said no one will face prosecution.
This is the second time in two years that the FBI has returned a stolen Cortés document to Mexico. In July 2023, a 16th century letter from the conquistador that authorized a purchase of rose sugar was repatriated.
In 2022, a National Archives employee discovered that this manuscript — dated May 27, 1527 — was set to be auctioned in Boston in one week’s time. U.S. authorities halted the auction and gained possession of the document, which had received 22 bids and was on the verge of being sold for US $18,600.
Resort areas like Puerto Vallarta attract timeshare arrangements where visitors, often foreigners, own a unit along with others and occupy it for a limited period at a time. (Nicole Herrero/Unsplash)
As part of a major crackdown on timeshare fraud in Mexico linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Wednesday sanctioned four Mexican nationals and 13 Mexican companies allegedly involved with fraud at resorts in Puerto Vallarta.
The CJNG, a powerful drug trafficking cartel designated by the U.S. government as a foreign terrorist organization, allegedly leads the scams. The sanctions are part of a broader campaign against the financing of terrorist and criminal activities from Mexico, targeting their non-drug revenue streams such as fuel theft, human smuggling, extortion and fraud.
“We are coming for terrorist drug cartels like Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion that are flooding our country with fentanyl,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “These cartels continue to create new ways to generate revenue to fuel their terrorist operations. At President Trump’s direction, we will continue our effort to completely eradicate the cartels’ ability to generate revenue, including their efforts to prey on elderly Americans through timeshare fraud.”
The Treasury calls on current owners of timeshares in Mexico to stay vigilant. “If an unsolicited purchase or rental offer seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Treasury said.
The timeshare fraud that the CJNG uses in tourist destinations like Puerto Vallarta often targets U.S. citizens, particularly seniors, who are contacted by call centers posing as real estate agents, lawyers or representatives of U.S. companies. Cartels “generally obtain information about U.S. owners of timeshares in Mexico from complicit insiders at timeshare resorts,” the FBI said.
The fraud typically involves the victim paying “fees” or “advance taxes” with the promise of receiving funds from the supposed sale or rental of their timeshare. The money never arrives, and consumers are frequently asked to pay more to resolve fictitious problems.
After the initial fraud, consumers may experience “revictimization” scams, where other criminals pose as lawyers or officials who promise to recover the lost money in exchange for further sums.
Some 7,000 U.S. victims lost roughly US $350 million to timeshare scams in Mexico between 2019 and 2024. However, the FBI believes these figures don’t reflect the total losses, as many victims do not report scams due to embarrassment.
Yucatán, home to tourism destinations like Chichén Itzá, is one of two states with a "Level 1 - Exercise Normal Precautions" advisory, indicating relative safety. (Gabriela Pérez Montiel/Cuartoscuro)
The U.S. Department of State updated its travel advisory for Mexico this week, warning for the first time ever of the risk of terrorism south of the border.
The U.S. this week update its travel advisories to warn Mexican travelers of a risk of terrorism. (US State Dept)
In its advisory summary, the State Department says that “many violent crimes take place in Mexico,” including “homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery.”
“There is a risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Mexico,” adds the summary of the advisory, which was updated on Tuesday.
The advisory says that “the U.S. government has limited ability to help in many parts of Mexico” and “U.S. government employees are not allowed to travel to certain high-risk areas.”
“Due to security risks, U.S. citizens should follow the same restrictions as U.S. government employees while traveling,” the State Department says.
The State Department warns of the risk of “terrorism” in 30 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities.
The only exceptions are Yucatán and Campeche.
Six of Mexico’s states are classified as “Level 4 – Do Not Travel” in the State Department advisory, while eight states are classified as “Level 3 – Reconsider Travel.”
The 6 ‘Do Not Travel’ states
Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas are all classified as “Level 4 – Do Not Travel” states.
The State Department warns of the risk of terrorism and crime in all six states. It warns of the added risk of kidnapping in Colima, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas.
The U.S. discourages travel to Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas, which all have Level 4 travel advisories. (US State Dept)
In its advisories for all six states, the State Department says: “There is a risk of violence in the state from terrorist groups, cartels, gangs and criminal organizations.”
It says that U.S. government employees “may travel” to some areas of the six aforesaid states. They include:
Central tourist and port areas of Manzanillo, Colima.
Morelia, Michoacán, and Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán. Travel to the latter city is permitted only by air.
Mazatlán, Sinaloa, “by air or sea only.”
Los Mochis, Sinaloa, and Topolobampo, Sinaloa, “by air or sea only.”
Certain areas of Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, but only by “U.S. government employees who have approved official travel.”
Nuevo Progreso, Tamaulipas, “within a limited radius” of the international bridge in the border town.
Zacatecas city, “by air only.”
The U.S. advisory also includes detailed information on which highways U.S. government employees are permitted to use in the six “Level 4” states.
The 8 ‘Reconsider Travel’ states
Baja California, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos and Sonora are all classified as “Level 3 – Reconsider Travel” states.
The State Department warns of the risk of terrorism and crime in all eight “Level 3” states. It warns of the additional risk of kidnapping in Baja California, Chihuahua, Jalisco, Morelos and Sonora.
As is the case with the “Level 4” states, the State Department warns that “there is a risk of violence … from terrorist groups, cartels, gangs and criminal organizations” in the “Level 3” states.
U.S. government employees are permitted to travel to many cities in the “Level 3” states including Tijuana, Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico issued a security alert over reports of dating apps being utilized to kidnap U.S. citizens near Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.
The 16 ‘Exercise Increased Caution’ states
Exactly half of Mexico’s 32 federal entities are classified as “Level 2 – Exercise Increased Caution” states.
They are Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, Durango, Hidalgo, Mexico City, México state, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Tlaxcala and Veracruz.
The State Department warns of the risk of terrorism and crime in all 16 states. It warns of the additional risk of kidnapping in México state, Puebla and San Luis Potosí.
Large swaths of central Mexico including Puebla, México state and Hidalgo currently have Level 2 warnings. (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)
It states “there is a risk of violence … from terrorist groups, cartels, gangs and criminal organizations” in the 16 “Level 2” states.
Campeche and Yucatán
Campeche and Yucatán are Mexico’s only “Level 1 – Exercise Normal Precautions” states.
Although the State Department doesn’t explicitly warn of the risk of “terrorism” in the two states, it does say “there is a risk of violence … from terrorist groups, cartels, gangs and criminal organizations” in both Campeche and Yucatán.
Sheinbaum responds to US terrorism warning for Mexico
“Now they use this word [terrorists] because they designated the cartels as such,” she said, referring to designations that occurred in February.
“But look, the main tourism destination for estadounidenses [U.S. Americans] is Mexico. Close to a million estadounidenses live here [in Mexico] because they like living here better, because they decided to live here,” Sheinbaum said.
Despite the terrorism warnings, “people continue coming to Mexico,” President Sheinbaum said. (Presidencia)
Asked whether the U.S. government was wrong to warn of the risk of “terrorism” in Mexico, the president responded:
Foreign tourists, including visitors from the United States, have become victims of crime, including homicide, in Mexico. However, the vast majority of foreign tourists are not affected by serious crime while visiting the country.
The United States’ warning of the risk of terrorism in Mexico comes as the Trump administration continues to pressure Mexico to do more to combat drug cartels.
On the first day of his second term, the U.S. president responded “could happen” when asked whether he would consider “ordering U.S. special forces into Mexico” to “take out” cartels.
Sheinbaum has repeatedly said that Mexico is willing to cooperate and collaborate with the United States on security issues, but will never accept subordination or any violation of its sovereignty. She said on Monday that Mexico “would never allow the United States Army or any other institution of the United States to set foot on Mexican territory.”
Chinese imports are big business in Mexico but as the trade deficit grows, the federal government is increasingly considering and sometimes implementing tariffs.
(Eduardo Esparza)
Mexico’s trade deficit with China set a new mark in the first half of the year as imports exceeded US $62.1 billion and exports fell short of US $4.6 billion, according to Banxico, Mexico’s central bank.
The result: a US $57.5 billion trade deficit, a new record for the first six months of a year, according to the national statistics agency, INEGI.
At the consumer level, China’s market power has been increasingly noticed — and often resented — in Mexico. (@opinionLSR/on X)
Data compiled by Banxico show Mexican imports of Chinese goods climbing by 2.3% during the period from January to June. Meanwhile, exports fell 4.5% year-to-year, maintaining a tendency that saw Mexican exports to the Asian giant fall for a second consecutive year in 2024.
Over the past decade, the trade gap between the two countries has doubled, according to the Fundación Andrés Bello, a think tank focusing on Chinese-Latin American relations. In the first six months of 2015, Mexico’s trade deficit with China sat at just US $32.8 billion.
Analysts cited by the Fundación Andrés Bello warn that Mexico’s over-reliance on its second-largest trading partner may pose structural challenges for domestic industries.
Since much of what Mexico imports from China are intermediate goods that Mexican companies use to produce finished goods for export, the over-reliance has the effect of limiting Mexico’s technological development and reinforcing a pattern of assembly rather than innovation.
In response, Mexico’s government has expressed its commitment to strengthening export capacity and implementing import substitution strategies. At the same time, the U.S. government’s effort to decouple trade with China is forcing Mexico to reconsider its own relationship with China.
Mexico begins to take action
This month, the Mexican government began responding to the trade gap.
“Those who want to import footwear (from Asia) will have to pay tariffs, so as to reduce the existing disadvantages for the domestic shoe industry,” he said.
Mexican shoemakers are the latest beneficiaries of tariffs on China, after a 25% import duty was announced Monday. (Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar/Cuartoscuro)
Essentially, Mexico has removed Chinese footwear from the tax-free Maquiladora Manufacturing and Export Services Industry Program (IMMEX), a government initiative allowing companies to temporarily import goods for use in manufacturing, processing or repair of goods intended for export, while deferring or exempting import duties and taxes.
The president of the National Footwear Industry Chamber, Juan Carlos Cashat, applauded the decision. “We celebrate a long-awaited achievement: the exclusion of finished footwear from the IMMEX Program,” he said.
Cashat said that imports under the scheme being replaced had increased from 3.79 million pairs in 2022 to more than 40 million in 2024, adding that lax oversight allowed a significant amount of the footwear to be diverted into the domestic market.
Concamin president Alejandro Malagón suggested a 30% tariff to curb the influx of Chinese furniture, urging Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus to join in the fight against the “unfair competition.” Lemus has complied, but emphasized that the proposed tariff would apply only to finished products and not to the inputs used by the sector.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol operated the drone, a MQ-9B SkyGuardian designed for surveillance and reconnaissance. (X)
A United States government drone departed Texas on Wednesday and flew south to airspace over a part of México state that is a stronghold of La Nueva Familia Michoacana, a criminal group that the U.S. designated as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.
Security Minister Omar García Harfuch told a press conference on Wednesday that the drone flight was requested by the Mexican government.
La aeronave que ha sobrevolado las últimas horas el Estado de México no es un avión militar, sino un avión no tripulado que vuela a petición específica de una institución del Gobierno de México, aclaró el titular de la Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana, Omar García… pic.twitter.com/Ok53AWJsEL
“It’s not a military plane, it’s not a military drone. They are drones or unmanned aircrafts, to be precise. They fly at the specific request of an institution of the Mexican government,” he said.
“They fly specifically in support and collaboration for investigations that we have in our country,” García Harfuch said.
He said that the unmanned aircraft — an MQ-9B SkyGuardian made by General Atomics and reportedly owned by the U.S. Air Force — had flown over the municipality of Tejupilco and other parts of México state.
“But it’s at the request of our country,” García Harfuch stressed.
The flight, operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), came less than a week after it was revealed that United States President Donald Trump had signed a directive to the Pentagon to begin using military force against certain Latin American drug cartels that the U.S. government has designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
“There is nothing illegal [taking place]. What there is, is collaboration and cooperation that has been going on for many years; it’s not something new,” Sheinbaum said in February.
She made similar remarks on Thursday morning, and told reporters that the CBP drone flight on Wednesday was “for a special investigation” into organized crime.
The latest drone flight
According to data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the CBP drone — which was unarmed — departed San Angelo, Texas, early Wednesday and flew south to airspace over México state.
In addition to Tejupilco, the unmanned aircraft also flew over the municipality of Valle Bravo, a popular tourist destination about 140 kilometers southwest of Mexico City.
It circled over southwestern México state for a period of approximately two hours before leaving the area. This region of México state borders Michoacán and Guerrero, states that are known for organized crime activity and drug trafficking.
The uncrewed flight left Texas early Wednesday and flew to southwestern México state, circling the area for roughly two hours before disappearing from public view. (Flightradar24)
The defense news website The War Zone reported that “sometime after flying over this area, about six hours into the flight, the MQ-9 disappeared off online tracking software.”
The Milenio newspaper reported that the area of México state over which the drone flew is of “strategic interest” due to its proximity to “routes toward Michoacán and Guerrero.”
La Nueva Familia Michoacana is the dominant crime group in the area, leading many media outlets to conclude that the CBP drone was seeking to collect information and intelligence about that organization.
The War Zone said that “CBP drone operators are fully aware that they can be tracked online with ease when broadcasting with their transponders.”
“The area they circled over may have been part of an active collection area or it may not have been, with the aircraft moving to more sensitive locales after it stopped transmitting,” the news site said.
What is the MQ-9B SkyGuardian capable of?
According to General Atomics, the MQ-9B SkyGuardian is “the next generation of remotely piloted aircraft systems, delivering persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance around the globe.”
The aircraft “can deliver real-time situational awareness anywhere in the world — day or night,” says General Atomics.
It is “outfitted with the revolutionary Lynx Multi-mode Radar, an advanced electro-optical/infrared sensor,” according to the San Diego-based company.
The SkyGuardian “is designed to fly over the horizon via satellite for up to 40+ hours in all types of weather and safely integrate into civil airspace,” General Atomics says.
La Nueva Familia Michoacana
Led by the brothers Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and José Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) operates in various states including México state, Guerrero and Michoacán. It engages in a range of illicit activities including drug trafficking and extortion.
In late 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that its Office of Foreign Assets Control had designated LNFM and the Hurtado brothers in accordance with a 2021 executive order — “Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade.”
The Treasury Department said at the time that LNFM “smuggles illicit drugs into and throughout the United States” and was “behind the increasing U.S. presence of rainbow fentanyl,” allegedly “made to attract children and young users.”
Johnny Hurtado, known as “El Pez” (The Fish) and José Hurtado, known as “El Fresa” (The Strawberry or The Snob), are “two of the most wanted criminals in Mexico,” the department said.
The United States is offering a reward of up to US $5 million for information leading to the arrest of Johnny Hurtado and $3 million for information leading to the capture of his brother.
Amid smog layers and skyscrapers, Mexico City preserves some of the most beautiful gardens in the country. These are the best among them. (Fernando Adame/Pexels)
In 2020, Mexico City was listed as the fifth most polluted city in the world. Over five years, however, air quality and environmental conditions have improved significantly. The city government has madesignificant efforts torestore green areas, which have helped immensely to clean the air (and our lungs, of course).
Today, as perIQAir’s latest report, the Mexican capital does not even appear in the top 20 anymore. In honor of this collective achievement, this is our digest of the most beautiful gardens in Mexico City.
Parque Masayoshi Ōhira (Coyoacán)
Masayoshi Ōhira Park feels like Mexico City’s own little Kyoto, where you can enjoy a perfect cup of green tea and contemplate its gardens. (Diana Macias/Shutterstock)
Ikebana is the Japanese art of creating almost sculptural compositions with live flowers. This could be the reason whyMasayoshi Ōhira Park, in theCoyoacán borough, has one of the most beautiful gardens in Mexico City. As the capital’s largest Japanese garden, it serves as a living celebration of the diplomatic relations between Japan and Mexico.
This is one of the few places in the country where you can see cherry blossoms bloom in spring, along with many other native species to Japan, such as maples, peonies and plum trees.
Where: Corredores, Country Club Churubusco, Coyoacán.
Fonoteca Nacional’s garden (Coyoacán)
Grab a book and sit in Fonoteca Nacional’s gorgeous gardens, sipping on an iced latte for summer’s sake. (ProtoplasmaKid/Wikimedia Commons)
After years of diplomatic service abroad, the Mexican Nobel laureate Octavio Paz spent his final years in Mexico City. In 1997, he and the Mexican government created the Octavio Paz Foundation, whose headquarters were in a beautiful former hacienda on Calle Francisco Sosa, in the heart of Coyoacán. Paz also lived there briefly — from 1997 until his death in 1998.
The estate’s garden, measuring over 200 square meters, is open to the public. These days, the building operates as Mexico’s National Sound Archives (Fonoteca Nacional).
Where: Av. Francisco Sosa 383, Santa Catarina, Coyoacán.
Parque Lincoln (Polanco)
An aviary, two enormous water mirrors and an open-air theater? Parque Lincoln has all that and more. (Santiago Castillo Chomel/Shutterstock)
Nestled in the elegant neighborhood of Polanco, this is “one of the most pristine and well-kept parks in the city,” asdescribed by Mexico City’s government. It is one of the only parks in the tumultuous CDMX with an aviary, where peacocks, parrots and macaws have loud conversations.
If you’re into living the ultimate fashionista fantasy, I’d strongly suggest brunching at Mandolina, an Amalfi Coast-inspired place with an absolutely adorable terrace. After that, head to Amorino for the perfect ice cream to have while strolling around Parque Lincoln’s gardens.
Where: Emilio Castelar 163, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo.
Jardín del Museo de Arte Moderno (Polanco)
Nothing beats visiting the MAM’s temporary exhibits and having a picnic in the museum’s iconic sculpture garden. (Burkhard Mücke/Wikimedia Commons)
Designed by Mexican architects Rafael Mijares Alcérreca and Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, the outdoor area of the Museo de Arte Moderno (MAM) was completed in 1964. In addition to temporary exhibitions, the MAM is one of the few cultural venues in the country that exhibits its collection outside of its interior galleries.
Where: Av. Paseo de la Reforma S/N, Bosque de Chapultepec, Sección I, Miguel Hidalgo.
Parque Lira (San Miguel Chapultepec)
Parque Lira has those quiet corners that capital residents need from time to time. (ProtoplasmaKid/Wikimedia Commons)
Since its construction as the estate of Vicente Lira in the 19th century, what is now Parque Lira has been renowned for its gardens featuring bridges, pools and fountains. Located north of the Tacubaya Metro station, it is easily accessible by public transportation.
Although open to the public, the buildings now serve as the seat of the Miguel Hidalgo mayor’s office.
Where: Av. Parque Lira 136, San Miguel Chapultepec, Sección I, Miguel Hidalgo.
Alameda de Santa María (Santa María la Ribera)
Framed with jacaranda trees that are heavy with purple flowers in spring, Alameda de Santa María’s Moorish kiosk is the centerpiece of one of the most beautiful gardens in Mexico City. (Diana Reyes/Pexels)
In a European geometric pattern, with four octagonal tiled fountains in the gardens,Alameda de Santa María was one of Mexico City’s first public parks. Designed in the 1880s by engineer José Ramón Ibarrola, its centerpiece is the iconic Kiosco Morisco: a beautiful Mudéjar-style kiosk in the heart of the Cuauhtémoc borough that was built to represent Mexico in the 1884 World Cotton & Industrial Exposition in New Orleans and then eventually brought back to Mexico City.
The gardens were renovated in 2010 by the Mexico City government, which gave the entire neighborhood a new, vibrant look. Today, Santa María La Ribera stands out as one of the city’s busiest and most walkable neighborhoods.
Where: Jaime Torres Bodet 152, Santa María La Ribera, Cuauhtémoc.
Though the spike in crime has primarily affected the central region of the state, tourism leaders say it threatens the reputation of Baja California Sur's biggest money-makers: La Paz and Los Cabos. (Constanza Mora/Unsplash)
Following recent violent episodes in Baja California Sur, the La Paz Hotel and Tourism Association (Emprhotur) said the prevailing perception of insecurity in some regions of the state could negatively impact visitor arrivals and tourism investment.
Although the capital city of La Paz has not registered any direct impact on its hotel sector so far, the Emprhotur is concerned that violence events in other municipalities, such as Comondú and Loreto, are influencing the general perception of the state.
“Any hint of violence, crime, or risk can cause an immediate drop in visitor arrivals,” Agustín Olachea Nogueda, head of the Emprhotour, told local media, adding that these types of situations “directly affect the destination’s image.”
From January to July this year, at least 63 intentional homicides were recorded, up 85.3% compared to the same period last year. Many of the incidents are linked to internal disputes between cells associated with the Sinaloa Cartel. Violence peaked in June with 24 murders reported, primarily concentrated in the municipalities of Comondú and Loreto.
In light of the conflict, Olachea urged government agencies to take action to avoid further damage to Baja California’s tourism reputation.
Agustín Olachea Nogueda, director of the La Paz Hotel and Tourism Association (at right), called on authorities to take action before the ongoing spike in crime hurts the state’s tourism industry. (Emprhotur)
“We demand that the current situations be addressed, that criminals be prosecuted, that arrests be made, and that we can return to the climate of tranquility we once experienced in Baja California Sur and La Paz,” Olachea said. “We’re living a climate of insecurity that we Southern Californians don’t deserve,” he stressed, adding that if the perception of risk isn’t controlled, tourism promotion efforts in source markets could be hampered.
Yet, this week, the United States updated its travel advisory for all 32 Mexican states and placed Baja California Sur at Level 2, which calls for increased caution when visiting due to events of organized crime and delinquency. The advisory states that there are no specific travel restrictions for U.S. government employees in that area.
Authorities in Baja California have stated that the U.S. advisory will not affect the state’s tourist destinations. The Tourism Minister of Baja California Sur Maribel Collins Sánchez explained that the state has been rated at Level 2 for several years and has not experienced any negative impacts. She added that despite the violence reported in the state, tourism indicators have in fact increased compared to last year.
“The tourist influx in the state is maintained and growing,” Collins said, adding that the state government is conducting a permanent observatory in collaboration with the private sector through the security roundtable. She said they’ve already held meetings with business leaders in Los Cabos and will soon do so in La Paz.
The Rarámuri have survived for centuries thanks to their almost unequalled ability to run long distances, something that has become a part of every day life in their mountain villages. (Prudencio Ramos and Mariano Ontiveros/Broetje Family Trust)
Growing up in Durango, not far from the southern Chihuahua border, I often heard passing mentions of the Indigenous Tarahumara. People would reference the mountains or “those Indigenous runners” with awe but never much depth. It wasn’t until adulthood, after moving away and returning with more curiosity, that I began to understand who they are — and why their story matters.
Known as the Rarámuri (their own name for themselves, translated as “those who run fast” or sometimes as “light-footed”), they are among the world’s greatest endurance runners. They live deep in the Sierra Tarahumara, a dramatic and rugged stretch of northern Mexico’s Copper Canyon, an area four times the size of the Grand Canyon.
The Raramuri live in northern Mexico’s Copper Canyon, one of the most inhospitable regions in the country. (Jens Uhlenbrock/Wikimedia Commons)
Yes, they are incredibly fast. But what makes the Rarámuri’s running so remarkable isn’t just physical ability — it’s that running is a reflection of how they live, what they believe and how they’ve stayed connected to their traditions in spite of everything history has thrown at them.
A lifetime of movement
The Rarámuri have lived in Chihuahua for centuries, long before colonization pushed them into the high sierras. Those who retreated deeper into the canyons were never fully conquered, preserving a way of life that still resists full assimilation.
Today, estimates vary, but anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 Rarámuri live across the Alta and Baja Sierra, continuing traditions passed down for generations.
One of those traditions is running. Rarámuri children don’t train for races — they run because it’s how they get around. The terrain where they live is steep and wild. Villages can be hours apart on foot. Over time, their bodies adapt: wide feet, strong joints, incredible stamina.
They often run in huaraches, handmade sandals fashioned from leather straps and the rubber from old car tires. Their feet are wide from a lifetime of movement, and modern sneakers can feel constricting. Studies suggest their minimalist footwear helps promote a more natural, injury-resistant stride.
A Raramuri woman photographed around 1940. (Casasola Archives/INAH)
Their diet also supports endurance. Take pinole, a simple but powerful mix of roasted ground maize and water. It’s nutrient-dense, slow-burning and provides sustained energy over long distances.
Their movement is woven into their lifestyle, their food and their connection to the land.
The Rarámuri have traditional footraces still practiced today. Rarajípare is a game where men kick a wooden ball ahead while chasing it over long distances. Ariwete, played by women, involves a hoop and stick. These events can go on for hours, or even days, especially when played between villages.
The spirit behind them isn’t just competition — it’s something deeper. Races are often preceded by a yúmari, a spiritual ceremony where runners are reminded to run with unity and for a purpose. Winning matters but so does how the race is run. As one phrase captures it: Iwériga — “send the power of your soul to another.”
Traditionally, the Rarámuri also hunted by chasing prey to the point of exhaustion. Running was — and still is — survival. But it’s also a form of gratitude and prayer deeply embedded in their cultural and spiritual life.
What the world gets wrong
The Rarámuri long ago had to adapt to the world outside their communities, but they’ve retained many of their traditions. (Graciela López Herrera/Cuartoscuro)
The global spotlight found the Rarámuri after the 2009 release of “Born to Run,” a best-selling book that chronicled their ultradistance abilities. But even well-meaning stories often drift into caricature — calling them superhuman, mystical, or natural-born athletes with supernatural pain tolerance.
This kind of praise flattens the truth: The Rarámuri are not magical anomalies. They’re people who have maintained an active, community-centered way of life for centuries. They’ve adapted to extreme terrain, preserved ancient practices and endured repeated waves of violence and environmental destruction.
Despite staying largely out of the spotlight, many Rarámuri have earned national and international recognition in competitive races. One of the most famous is Lorena Ramírez, who made headlines in 2017 when she won the 50-kilometer UltraTrail Cerro Rojo in Puebla. She did so wearing a traditional dress and huaraches, finishing in just over seven hours.
Lorena Ramírez at the Hong Kong 100 ultramarathon in January. She finished it in just over 24 hours despite being treated for foot injuries. (Fundación Lorena Ramírez A.C./Facebook)
Her story was captured in the short documentary “Lorena, Light-Footed Woman,” which highlights not just her strength but the quiet pride and cultural grounding that fuel her.
Their names — Verónica Palma, Ulisa Fuentes, Isadora Rodríguez, Lucía Nava, Rosa Para and Argelia Orpinel — now join a growing list of Rarámuri runners who’ve quietly reshaped the global narrative about endurance and strength.
Rocio is a Mexican-American writer based in Mexico City. She was born and raised in a small village in Durango and moved to Chicago at age 12, a bicultural experience that shapes her lens on life in Mexico. She’s the founder of CDMX IYKYK, a newsletter for expats, digital nomads, and the Mexican diaspora, and Life of Leisure, a women’s wellness and spiritual community.
