Six suspects were taken into custody following the high-speed chase on Thursday. (@SEMAR_mx/X)
The Mexican Navy recently seized a shipment of cocaine weighing 672.9 kilograms off the coast of Oaxaca, the Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR) announced on Thursday.
The bust included the seizure of a small vessel with two outboard motors and 29 drums containing 1,219 liters of fuel.
The seizure occurred near the port of Santa Cruz Huatulco on Thursday. (@SEMAR_mx/X)
Six suspects were taken into custody, though no information about their nationalities was released.
The seizure occurred in the Pacific Ocean approximately 73 nautical miles (135 kilometers) southeast of the port of Santa Cruz Huatulco, in the 18th Naval Zone.
The Navy credited field and office work for uncovering information about a possible transfer of illicit cargo, after which Navy ships and aircraft were quickly sent into action.
But as soon as Navy personnel spotted their boat, the suspected smugglers realized the jig was up and tried to flee. A high-speed chase ensued and, needless to say, the suspects were pursued and captured.
The entire action was carried out by the Mexican Navy in its Coast Guard role. The Mexican Navy includes the Mexican Naval Infantry and the Mexican Coast Guard.
The recent bust wasn’t as large as some recent Navy seizures – such as 4,400 kilograms from two vessels in late August and 922 kilograms from a single vessel one week later – but it did continue a trend of large cocaine seizures at sea.
One of the seizures was of a submarine off the coast of Baja California last June. The vessel, considered the largest narco-submarine seen in the last five years, was found to be carrying 3,500 kilograms of cocaine.
Julieta Venegas will give a free concert in the Mexico City Zócalo to mark International Women's Day. (Julieta Venegas/Facebook)
A free concert by singer Julieta Venegas and a mass ballet class directed by renowned dancer Elisa Carrillo Cabrera will help Mexico City commemorate International Women’s Day next month.
The two Mexican superstars will appear in person on March 16 and 17, respectively, at the Zócalo, the capital city’s central plaza that can hold upwards of 100,000 people.
While International Women’s Day is March 8, the Zócalo is being held open that day for women’s rallies and speeches.
“It is a fundamental day of mobilization and, therefore, it has all the respect and guarantees from the government of Mexico City,” said interim CDMX Mayor Martí Batres. “The Zócalo will be free for women’s gatherings on March 8. I make it very clear so that there is no confusion.”
Overall, there will be more than 120 activities at more than 90 locations in Mexico City during the Tiempo de Mujeres (Time for Women) festival, held March 1 through March 17 — including service fairs, films, conferences and workshops.
One of the events is a March 1 show at Teatro de la Ciudad (City Theater) in which 77-year-old American punk rock legend Patti Smith will perform a concert that combines poetry, music and images.
Other scheduled events include a open-to-all ballet class given by Mexican ballerina Elisa Carrillo Cabrera and a performance by punk rock singer/writer/artist Patti Smith. (Elisa Carrillo Cabrera/Facebook, PattiSmith.net)
Smith will kick off the sixth annual Tiempo de Mujeres festival, which this year is subtitled “Festival for Equality.” It aims to recognize women’s social struggle through spaces that promote their artistic, cultural, political, scientific and educational work.
The exhibit “Eyes of a Flying Woman” by Patricia Aridjis at the Photography Archive Museum is part of the lineup, as is a presentation at Teatro de la Ciudad of the Ka’ux Women’s Philharmonic Band from Oaxaca’s Mixe community.
A new mural by artist Eva Bracamontes will be unveiled at the FARO Oriente cultural center in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa borough, and a tribute will be paid to filmmaker María Novaro, 72, who was among the first generation of female filmmakers to graduate from a film school in Mexico.
The Venegas concert — which will also feature Vanessa Zamora, Laura Itandehui and Girl Ultra — is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. March 16 at the Zócalo, with the Carrillo ballet class the next day at 9 a.m. Both events are free.
Julieta Venegas, Girl Ultra, Vanessa Zamora and Laura Itandehui will perform at the Zócalo on March 16. (Secretaría de Cultura CDMX/Facebook)
Venegas is well known in Latin America for her 2006 album and hit song “Limón y Sal” (Lime and Salt) and her worldwide hit “Me Voy” (I’m Leaving). Born in Long Beach, California, in 1970, the indie-pop star grew up in Tijuana.
Carrillo, the dancer, was born in 1981 in the municipality of Texcoco in México state and is a principal dancer with the world-renowned Berlin State Ballet. She has won the three most important international ballet awards, becoming the only Mexican and first Latin American to do so.
Her free class will turn the Zócalo into “the largest dance classroom in the world,” wrote the newspaper El Economista.
Mexico’s secondary or manufacturing industry recorded the strongest growth among the three broad sectors of the economy. (Audi México)
The strong growth in 2021 came after an 8.5% contraction in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions ravaged the economy.
Last year, Mexico’s secondary or manufacturing industry recorded the strongest growth among the three broad sectors of the economy, expanding 3.5% compared to 2022.
GDP for the tertiary or services sector increased 3.1%, while that for the primary sector including agriculture, logging and fishing expanded 2.1%.
The overall growth figure was well above forecasts made in early 2023, but slightly below some more recent ones. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), for example, predicted in January that final data would show that the Mexican economy grew 3.4% last year.
At 2.5%, annual growth in the final quarter of 2023 was below the figure for the entire year. Andrés Abadia, chief Latin America economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, believes it’s “probable that growth will continue to be weak in the short term due to stricter financial conditions and less favorable remittances from abroad.”
The construction sector – a key driver of growth last year – has begun to slow as the government nears completion of major infrastructure projects. (Mara Lezama/X)
The Bank of Mexico’s benchmark interest rate remains at an all-time high 11.25% almost a year after it was raised to that level, while remittances could fall from the record level recorded in 2023 depending on economic conditions in the United States.
An initial cut to the key interest rate is expected some time in the first half of this year, provided inflation continues to fall.
Annual headline inflation declined in the first half of February after increasing during three consecutive months between November and January, but at 4.45% remains above the central bank’s target.
Abadia said that Mexico’s strong labor market will help avoid a “prolonged downward trend” in economic growth rates. However, he noted that activity in the construction sector — a key driver of growth last year — has begun to slow as the government nears completion of some major infrastructure projects, such as the Maya Train railroad.
The El Financiero newspaper reported that the “market consensus” is that the Mexican economy will grow 2.4% this year, but noted that predictions could change if an interest rate cut — or even successive cuts — spurs private consumption.
Meanwhile, the growing nearshoring trend is expected to once again benefit the economy in 2024 as foreign companies act on investment announcements they have already made.
Germany's Discover Airlines will become the first carrier to offer direct flights to Tulum International Airport from Europe. (Discover Airlines)
In a move expected to boost tourism in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, the new Tulum Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport will welcome its first direct flight from Europe at the end of the year.
Discover Airlines, a subsidiary of Lufthansa Group, will operate two flights a week from Frankfurt, Germany, to the Tulum airport during the winter season, from Dec. 12 through April 2025.
Tulum airport is expected to bring a surge in tourism to the already-popular region, with the addition of direct European flights opening the beach town up to larger markets. (Mara Lezama/X)
The airline also operates six weekly flights to Cancún during the summer and winter seasons and four in the low season. Once the Tulum route begins, Discover will offer daily connections to the Yucatán Peninsula from Germany.
“Discover Airlines is proud to become the first European airline to offer non-stop flights to Tulum,” the company said in a press release. “With this new route, the Frankfurt-based leisure airline is responding to the strong demand from travelers in Germany and throughout Europe.”
Mexican officials negotiated with airlines from Switzerland, Spain and Germany during last month’s International Tourism Trade Fair in Madrid, as part of efforts to attract more flights from Europe to Tulum.
Tulum, located in the state of Quintana Roo, is known for its beaches and spectacular Maya ruins and cenotes.
Additional hotel infrastructure is being built in the region to handle the boost in international tourism the new airport is expected to provide.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador inaugurated the Tulum airport on Dec. 1, which boasts a terminal with capacity for 5.5 million passengers annually.
The airport will begin receiving flights from North America in March. Delta, United, American, JetBlue and Air Canada will be providing connections to 12 destinations in the United States and Canada.
The first flights from South and Central America are also expected to begin operating soon, connecting through Panama City via Copa Airlines.
The three candidates — from left to right, Xóchitl Gálvez, Claudia Sheinbaum and Jorge Álvarez Máynez — return to campaigning next week after a pause mandated by the National Electoral Institute (INE) that began Jan. 19. (Mexico News Daily, X)
Claudia Sheinbaum has a decisive advantage over Xóchitl Gálvez in the contest to become Mexico’s next president, according to the results of a new poll.
Just over three months before election day, a poll conducted for the El Economista newspaper found that Sheinbaum has 51.6% support, almost 24 points clear of Gálvez on 27.8%.
Claudia Sheinbaum has a decisive advantage over Xóchitl Gálvez in the race to become Mexico’s next president, according to a poll from the newspaper El Economista. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Jorge Álvarez Máynez, the candidate for the minor Citizens Movement party, is in a distant third place, with 5.1% support among 1,600 adults polled by the company Mitofsky between Feb. 17 and 20.
Support for Sheinbaum, who will represent the ruling Morena party and its allies in the June 2 election, increased 0.8 percentage points compared to El Economista’s January poll, while the percentage of respondents who said they would vote for Gálvez, the candidate for a three-party opposition alliance, increased by 0.9 points. Support for Álvarez Máynez declined slightly.
Sheinbaum’s advantage over Gálvez is even greater if the 15.5% of non-committed respondents are stripped out of the poll results. In that case, the former Mexico City mayor has 61.1% support, more than 28 points ahead of Gálvez, a former National Action Party (PAN) senator who will represent that party as well as the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) on June 2.
The official campaign period begins next Friday March 1. The new president will be sworn in Oct. 1.
Xóchitl Gálvez is in second place in polls, comfortably ahead of Citizens Movement candidate Jorge Álvarez Máynez. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Which presidential candidate is the most experienced, the most intelligent and “closest to the people”?
The poll respondents were asked to take into account what they know about the three candidates in order to respond to the following nine questions.
Who is the most experienced?
Who would make the best president of Mexico?
Who is closest to the people?
Who is the most intelligent?
Who represents more of a change?
Who would create more jobs?
Who would attract more investment?
Who is more honest?
Who don’t you trust
Sheinbaum — a physicist and environmental scientist who was environment minister in Mexico City when Andrés Manuel López Obrador was mayor in the early 2000s — fared best on every question.
Over 50% of those polled said that the 61-year-old Mexico City native is the most experienced; would make the best president of Mexico; is closest to the people; and is the most intelligent.
Former Mexico City mayor Sheinbaum retains a commanding lead in the polls on every major public issue. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
Just under half of respondents — 48.5% — said that Sheinbaum represents more of a change than her two rivals, even though her election would keep Morena in power. Similar percentages of respondents said that the ex-mayor would create more jobs; attract more investment; and is more honest than the other two presidential hopefuls.
Only 18-26% of respondents cited Gálvez — a 61-year-old Indigenous Otomí woman who was a businesswoman before moving into politics — when responding to the first eight questions. The range for Álvarez Máynez, a 38-year-old lawmaker, was 3-7%.
Just under one in five respondents — 17.9% — said they don’t trust Sheinbaum, while the figures for Gálvez and Álvarez Máynez were 36.1% and 16.2%, respectively.
Desire for continuity greater than appetite for change
More than five in 10 poll respondents believe that it would be better for Mexico for Morena to continue governing the country, while fewer than four in 10 believe that a change of party is preferable.
Morena, officially the National Regeneration Movement, took office in late 2018 when President Andrés Manuel López Obrador won a comprehensive victory at the presidential election in July of that year. The president founded the party early last decade and it is now the dominant political force in Mexico, holding power in 21 of the country’s 32 federal entities. Morena is allied with the Labor Party and the Ecological Green Party of Mexico.
The Morena party of incumbent President López Obrador is still believed to represent change, despite having been in power for six years. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)
The percentage of poll respondents who believe that Mexico will be better off with a continuation of Morena rule — 53.4% — increased 1.9 points compared to El Economista’s previous poll.
Sheinbaum has pledged to build the segundo piso, or second story, of López Obrador’s so-called “fourth transformation,” or 4T, which has been characterized by things such as significant spending on welfare and employment programs, austerity in many other areas, a stated commitment to combating corruption and impunity and the construction of several large infrastructure projects.
Another tenet of the 4T is the president’s so-called “hugs, not bullets” security strategy, which focuses on addressing the root causes of violence over combating criminals with force. While the number of homicides last year was the lowest since 2016, total murders during López Obrador’s presidency — over 170,000 — is the highest of any six-year period of government in Mexican history.
The percentage of poll respondents who believe that Mexico would be better off with a different party (or parties) in power declined to 38.9% from 40.8% in the January poll.
The PAN was in power for the first 12 years of this century after Vicente Fox won the 2000 presidential election and thus ended over 70 years of uninterrupted rule by the PRI. Fox was succeeded by Felipe Calderón, who initiated a militarized “war” on drug cartels shortly after he took office in 2006. Homicides increased significantly during his six-year term, and continued to rise during the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto, who was sworn in as president in late 2012, returning the PRI to power.
Peña’s administration was plagued by corruption scandals and severely tarnished by the abduction and presumed murder of 43 students in Guerrero in 2014. The previous government enacted a number of constitutional reforms, including one that opened up Mexico’s energy sector to foreign and private companies. In February 2014 — seven months before the 43 students disappeared — Time magazine put Peña Nieto on its cover and declared that he was “saving Mexico” as a result of his “sweeping reforms.”
After 18 years of PAN and PRI rule this century, and just over five years of a Morena administration, a majority of Mexicans — according to the latest El Economista poll and numerous others — believe that a continuation of the 4T under the leadership of Sheinbaum is preferable to returning to the past by electing the three-party coalition headed by Gálvez.
Flag Day is celebrated every Feb. 24 with a ceremony and a song known as 'El Toque de Bandera." (Shutterstock)
Every year on Feb. 24, Mexicans commemorate one of the country’s three national symbols: the Mexican flag.
On this day, students nationwide hold special flag ceremonies at school and pledge allegiance to the flag while singing “El Toque de Bandera,” a short anthem in its honor.
Mexico’s flag is an important source of national pride for many across the country. (Michael Balam/Cuartoscuro)
As an emblem of national identity, our flag reveals crucial parts of our country’s history, dating back to the Mexica Empire, the Spanish conquest and most recently, Mexico’s independence.
In today’s story, we will explore how Mexico’s flag has changed over time, its current role as a symbol of unity and the fascinating myth that inspired its emblem. We will also explore the laws that currently regulate it and why, unlike the U.S. flag, it’s impossible to find the Mexican flag on commercial merchandise.
Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mexico’s first flag
(Sarumo78/Wikimedia)
In September 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, often referred to as the Father of the Nation, took the banner of the Virgin of Guadalupe from the sacristy of the parish of Atotonilco, Guanajuato and used it as a symbol of resistance and unity to claim independence from Spain.
As a priest, Hidalgo was well aware of mass religious sentiment towards the Virgin Mary and knew that only she could unify the entire country for a common cause.
The flag of Emperor Agustín de Iturbide
(Wikimedia)
Once Mexico achieved independence in 1821, criollo Agustín de Iturbide — who fought for the royalist army against the insurgents before joining them in 1821 — was proclaimed Emperor of Mexico and used a tricolor flag to represent his government.
This flag was Mexico’s first as an independent country and features a crowned eagle shield and the colors of independence: green, white and red, which would remain in subsequent flags.
In this flag, white represents the Catholic religion, green represents Mexico’s independence and red represents the unity of Mexicans with Spain.
Benito Juárez flag
(Wikimedia)
The flag used during the government of Benito Juárez, which lasted from 1858 to 1872, is known as the republican banner. In this version, the eagle no longer has a crown, and laurels and olive trees represent the republic.
The colors also changed meaning as a result of the separation of church and government: green represents hope, white represents unity and red represents the blood of the nation’s heroes.
The flag of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico
(Wikimedia)
In 1864, Archduke Maximilian of Austria was appointed Emperor of Mexico by Napoleon III. During his rule, the Mexican flag underwent some design modifications, including changes to its proportions and the addition of four crowned eagles in each corner. Its appearance was similar to the coat of arms of the Second French Empire.
The flag remained in use until 1867, when the Austrian monarch was executed and Benito Juárez’s government returned from exile.
Porfirio Díaz flag
(Wikimedia)
By the late 19th century, Porfirio Díaz — who ruled Mexico for over 30 years — used a flag that featured an eagle devouring a snake while perched on a cactus, surrounded by a laurel wreath.
Due to Díaz’s preference for French culture, the eagle was depicted in the French style of the time, with its wings spread and facing forward.
The flag of the Mexican Revolution
(Ludovicus Fernandus/Wikimedia)
During the Mexican Revolution, President Venustiano Carranza ordered the eagle’s position to be changed. On September 20, 1916, he decreed that the eagle should be shown prostrate on a cactus, on a rock surrounded by water. The eagle would also be surrounded by a semicircle of oak and laurel and be depicted from the left profile to reflect the ideology of Carranza’s government.
The current flag and the Mexica legend that inspired it
(Gobierno de México)
The current Mexican flag was officially adopted on September 16, 1968, by President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz. Maintaining the original colors, its coat of arms depicts a golden eagle perched on a cactus and devouring a snake.
The coat of arms was inspired by the Mexica legend of the founding of Tenochtitlán, part of the myth of the people of Aztlán.
According to the story, in the 12th century, Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, ordered the Nahua people to leave their homeland of Aztlán. The Mexica, one of these groups, were told to build their new city in the place where they saw an eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus while devouring a snake. The Mexica finally saw this sight on a tiny islet in the middle of Lake Texcoco, in the Valley of Mexico.
To build their city, the new residents developed garden islands known as chinampas, connected by causeways. Today, this city has become Mexico City. Since then, the eagle, the snake and the cactus on the islet have been symbols of identity for the Mexica and their descendants.
Regulations around the flag
In 1968, Mexico issued the Law on the National Coat of Arms, Flag and Anthem, which regulates the use of Mexico’s three national symbols.
According to this law, it is illegal in Mexico to commercialize the Mexican flag on merchandise such as coffee cups, t-shirts, pens and other utensils. Selling replicas of the flag is only legal during national holidays.
Gabriela Solís is a Mexican lawyer based in Dubai turned full-time writer. She covers business, culture, lifestyle and travel for Mexico News Daily. You can follow her life in Dubai in her blog Dunas y Palmeras.
Idioms can be confusing, but don't beat about the bush and andarse con rodeos - let us help you instead! (Sander Sammy/Unsplash)
Speaking another language is hard. In fact, it’s so hard, that we’ve produced a guide to stop you from breaking your head trying to articulate your thoughts in Spanish. ¿Alguna vez te has roto la cabeza por no encontrar lo que quieres decir en español? Language is a powerful tool, but sometimes finding the right words can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. ¿Te suena familiar?
Let’s explore some common English idioms and their Spanish equivalents to unravel the mystery of expression.
Beat Around the Bush – Andarse con rodeos
When someone is avoiding the topic or not getting straight to the point, you might say they are “beating around the bush.” In Spanish, this translates to “andarse con rodeos.”
Next time someone is not being straightforward, try this expression:
Example: No te andes con rodeos, solo ve al grano!
In Spanish, the equivalent expression for this idiom is “Hablando del Rey de Roma.” It’s a fun way to acknowledge that the person you were just talking about has unexpectedly shown up. Next time this happens, try smoothly using the Spanish version!
Example: Carlos: ¿Has visto a Sofía últimamente? No la he visto en semanas.
Have you seen Sofia lately? I haven’t seen her in weeks!
Ana: No, ni yo. Hablando del Rey de Roma, ¡mira quien llegó!
Neither have I. Speaking of the devil, look who’s here!
Sofía: ¡Hola! ¿De qué están hablando?
Hey! What are you talking about?
Carlos: Estábamos precisamente hablando de que no te veíamos hace mucho.
We were just saying that we haven’t seen you in a long time.
Costs an Arm and a Leg – Costar un ojo de la cara
Have you ever wanted to buy something that cost an arm and a leg? In Spanish, the equivalent phrase is “costar un ojo de la cara.” Now you can tell your friends about that new gadget you desire while sacrificing a totally different body part.
Example: Ana: Si vas a ir al concierto?
Are you going to the concert?
Sofía: No, cuesta un ojo de la cara.
No, it costs an arm and a leg.
Understanding idioms not only enriches your language skills but also provides insights into local culture. So, whether you find yourself beating around the bush, speaking of the devil, or buying something that costs an arm and a leg, remember that language is a journey – one that often involves a bit of cabeza-breaking along the way. But fear not, as each idiom cracked is a step closer to mastering the art of expression in Spanish.
Paulina Gerez is a translator-interpreter, content creator, and founder of Crack The Code, a series of online courses focused on languages. Through her social media, she helps people see learning a language from another perspective through her fun experiences. Instagram: paulinagerezm / Tiktok: paugerez3 / YT: paulina gerez
High levels of pollution have led to the implementation of environmental protection measures, including vehicle restrictions in Mexico City and its surrounding areas. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
The Mexico City Environmental Commission (CAMe) announced Phase 1 emergency environmental measures Thursday afternoon, triggering vehicle restrictions within the greater metropolitan area that will remain in effect on Friday.
A Phase 1 air quality alert is in effect for the Valley of México after a heavy concentration of ozone was detected, and as of 10:00 a.m. on Friday, authorities announced the alert would remain in place throughout the day until 10 p.m.
The air quality alert went into effect on Thursday afternoon because of increased levels of atmospheric ozone. (Webcams de México/X)
The Phase 1 order affects all 16 Mexico City boroughs and 12 municipalities in the neighboring state of Mexico. The alert dramatically reduces the number of vehicles allowed to circulate in the Mexico City metropolitan area, cuts in half the number of LP gas delivery trucks on the road, prohibits certain cargo deliveries in the morning (from 6 a.m. through 10 a.m.) and cautions the public from engaging in outdoor activities.
In a Thursday night press release, CAMe reported that ozone measurements had topped out at 167 parts per billion (ppb) at 3 p.m., necessitating the Phase 1 alert which is declared any time ozone surpasses 100 ppb.
The CAMe report indicated that its meteorological models revealed a high-pressure system above the Valley of México accompanied by intense solar radiation, atmospheric stability and lack of wind, all of which contributed to the ozone concentration.
A thermal inversion was also detected, further complicating the situation. Such inversions play a major role in air quality, especially during the winter when these inversions are the strongest.
Pollutants from vehicles, wood burning and industrial emissions become trapped near the ground, contributing to poor air quality. The lack of wind allows the pollutants to remain trapped above the valley.
Those considered most at risk from ozone exposure are children, people with asthma and other lung diseases, older adults, and adults who are active or work outside.
The CAMe will issue an updated bulletin on air quality at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, which can be consulted via the agency’s X account.
President López Obrador categorically denied the allegations and slammed the newspaper, describing it as a "filthy rag." (Cuartoscuro)
The New York Times (NYT) on Thursday published allegations that people close to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, including his sons, received drug money after he took office in late 2018.
President López Obrador with his sons in 2016. (Cuartoscuro)
At his morning press conference, AMLO, as the president is best known, railed against the newspaper, describing it as a “filthy rag” and calling its journalists “world-renowned professional libelers.”
“…You are deceivers, those from the New York Times and those who sent you to do the report,” López Obrador said.
He also revealed a series of questions sent to his communications coordinator by the NYT’s bureau chief for Mexico, and displayed and read aloud the telephone number she supplied.
“This is a troubling and unacceptable tactic from a world leader at a time when threats against journalists are on the rise. We have since published the findings from this investigation and stand by our reporting and the journalists who pursue the facts where they lead,” said the statement posted to the @NYTimesPR account.
The allegations and AMLO’s responses
“American law enforcement officials spent years looking into allegations that allies of Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, met with and took millions of dollars from drug cartels after he took office, according to U.S. records and three people familiar with the matter,” the Times report began.
“The inquiry, which has not been previously reported, uncovered information pointing to potential links between powerful cartel operatives and Mexican advisers and officials close to the president while he governed the country.”
The New York Times published the report on Thursday, after López Obrador had already railed against the newspaper in his morning press conference. (Screen capture)
The NYT noted that “the United States never opened a formal investigation into Mr. López Obrador, and the officials involved ultimately shelved the inquiry.”
The newspaper also acknowledged that “while the recent efforts by the U.S. officials identified possible ties between the cartels and Mr. López Obrador’s associates, they did not find any direct connections between the president himself and criminal organizations.”
The United States government has jurisdiction to bring charges against foreign officials if it can demonstrate that there is a connection to drug smuggling into the U.S.
Allegation:
The Times said that an informant told U.S. investigators “that after the president was elected, a founder of the notoriously violent Zetas cartel paid [US] $4 million to two of Mr. López Obrador’s allies in the hope of being released from prison.”
AMLO’s response:
López Obrador described the allegation, as set out in the letter sent to Jesús Ramírez by NYT Mexico bureau chief Natalie Kitroeff, as “another calumny.”
He added that Reforma — his least favorite Mexican newspaper — is “much better” than the New York Times.
Allegation:
The Times reported that “records show” that U.S. investigators “were told by an informant that one of Mr. López Obrador’s closest confidants met with Ismael Zambada García, a top leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, before his victory in the 2018 presidential election.”
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Allegation:
The Times reported that “investigators obtained information from a third source suggesting that drug cartels were in possession of videos of the president’s sons picking up drug money, records show.”
AMLO’s response:
“Where are the videos? It’s an embarrassment. There is no doubt that this kind of journalism is in clear decline. The New York Times is a pasquín inmundo [filthy rag],” the president said.
Allegation:
The NYT said that “U.S. law enforcement officers also independently tracked payments from people they believed to be cartel operatives to intermediaries for Mr. López Obrador, two of the people familiar with the inquiry said.”
The president was lambasted for greeting María Consuelo Loera, mother of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, in Sinaloa in 2020. (Archive)
“At least one of those payments, they said, was made around the same time that Mr. López Obrador traveled to the state of Sinaloa in 2020 and met the mother of the drug lord Joaquín Guzmán Loera, who is better known as El Chapo and is now serving a life sentence in an American federal prison.”
AMLO’s response:
“In other words, I went to pick up the money. Or we went because while I was meeting the lady [El Chapo’s mother], the person with me received the bribe,” López Obrador said with a wry smile.
“…Look at the distortion,” he added, noting that the letter sent to his communications coordinator asserted that he had traveled to Sinaloa to meet with María Consuelo Loera, who died in December.
“… I went to inspect a road that was built … from Badiraguato, [Sinaloa], to Guadalupe y Calvo, Chihuahua,” López Obrador said.
Allegations won’t affect relationship with US, AMLO says
The president also responded to an inquiry from Kitroeff as to how the Times’ “new revelation” might affect bilateral relations with the United States.
“In no way, [the allegations] can’t have an impact if we’re obliged to maintain good relations with the government of the United States because we’re partners — leading economic trade partners, because we have … a border of 3,180 kilometers, because 40 million Mexicans live and work honorably in the United States and because politics was invented, among other things, to avoid confrontation,” López Obrador.
While he made that remark, AMLO acknowledged that after three media outlets reported on a closed Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation of allegations that his 2006 campaign received drug money, he said, “How are we going to be sitting at the table [with U.S. officials] talking about the fight against drugs if they, or one of their institutions, is leaking information and harming me?”
President López Obrador receives President Biden at the North American Leaders Summit in January 2023. (López Obrador/X)
He said Thursday that “time will tell” whether the new allegations will diminish the trust the Mexican government has in the United States. López Obrador also said he hoped that the United States government would say “something” about the allegations.
“If they don’t want to say anything, if they don’t want to act with transparency, that’s a matter for them. But any democratic government, any defender of freedoms, has to inform,” he said.
John Kirby, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, said Thursday afternoon that “there is no investigation into President López Obrador.”
United States Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said earlier this month that the case regarding the alleged illicit campaign funding in 2006 was closed.
Why didn’t the United States pursue the allegations exposed by the NYT?
Citing “three people familiar with the case, who were not authorized to speak publicly,” the Times reported that U.S. law enforcement officials “concluded that the U.S. government had little appetite to pursue allegations against the leader of one of America’s top allies.”
It also said that “for the United States, pursuing criminal charges against top foreign officials is a rare and complicated undertaking,” adding that “building a legal case against Mr. López Obrador would be particularly challenging.”
Again citing the people familiar with the case, the NYT also said that “the decision to let the recent inquiry go dormant … was caused in large part by the breakdown of a separate, highly contentious corruption case.”
The U.S. arrest of former defense minister Salvador Cienfuegos without notifying Mexico caused a diplomatic uproar in 2020. (Cuartoscuro)
Under heavy pressure from the Mexican government, the U.S. government, led at the time by former president Donald Trump, dropped the charges against the retired general and granted Mexico its wish to conduct its own investigation. The Federal Attorney General’s Office exonerated Cienfuegos less than two months after he returned to Mexico.
“It’s not possible for an investigation to be carried out with so much irresponsibility, without support, and for us to remain silent,” he said on Jan. 18, 2021.
U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby (here in 2021) stated on Thursday that there is “no investigation into President López Obrador.” (Wikimedia Commons)
As a result of the whole affair, the Drug Enforcement Administration “suffered a tremendous blow to its relationship with the Mexican government,” the Times reported.
One example of Mexico’s dissatisfaction with the United States as a result of its investigation against Cienfuegos was the approval of legislation that regulates the activities of foreign agents in Mexico, removes their diplomatic immunity and allows for their expulsion from the country. Another was the the delaying of the issuance of visas that allow DEA agents to work in Mexico.
An investigation in the United States focusing on allegations that people close to López Obrador received drug money during his presidency would — to say it mildly — not be at all convenient for the U.S. government as it seeks to negotiate with the president and his administration on key issues such as migration and drug trafficking. A recent surge of migrants to the United States is a particular concern for President Joe Biden as he prepares for what appears will be a repeat showdown with Trump at the 2024 U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5.
Another factor in the United States decision to not move forward with its inquiry was likely concern over the reliability of the information its law enforcement officials received.
“Much of the information collected by U.S. officials came from informants whose accounts can be difficult to corroborate and sometimes end up being incorrect,” the Times reported.
“The investigators obtained the information while looking into the activities of drug cartels, and it was not clear how much of what the informants told them was independently confirmed.”
The new facility will improve cargo logistics between Mexico and the United States. (Ryder System)
United States transportation and logistics company Ryder System has opened a new warehouse and cross-border dock facility in Laredo, Texas, in response to the nearshoring trend that has helped Mexico displace China as the top U.S. trade partner.
The 228,000-square-foot facility features 102 truck dock doors and space for 143 trailers, with easy interstate access in both directions. It is located within a six-mile radius of Ryder’s other operations in Laredo, to allow for overflow and pooling of labor and resources for added flexibility.
Ryder Mexico manages more than 250,000 freight movements annually between Mexico and the U.S, and operates about 5 million square feet of warehouse and yard space in Mexico. (Ryder System)
Ryder executives saythe new facility, located three miles from the World Trade Bridge, will help Ryder “take advantage of the growth in manufacturing while speeding products across the border.”
The Miami-based logistics provider is also expanding a drayage yard just across the border in Nuevo Laredo, to facilitate the transfer of freight across the World Trade Bridge to U.S.-based drivers in Laredo.
Ryder Mexico manages more than 250,000 freight movements annually between Mexico and the U.S, and operates about 5 million square feet of warehouse and yard space in Mexico.
According to Business Wire, the ports of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo now comprise the top inland transborder trade port between the United States and Mexico.
The Laredo crossing, seen here in 2019, is now the busiest haulage crossing point between Mexico and the United States. (Gabriela Pérez Montiel/Cuartoscuro)
In 2023, more than 7.35 million commercial trucks crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Truck border crossings between the United States and Mexico have risen more than 20% annually since the pandemic.
Ricardo Alvarez, vice president of supply chain operations for Ryder Mexico, said in a press release that this is due to more businesses looking to nearshoring to diversify their supply chains and shorten lead times.
“The savings from manufacturing overseas can be offset by inventory sitting on ships or in seaports incurring storage fees,” he said. “With Mexico, you put what you need on a truck and it can be in a final-mile distribution center within days, not months.”
Mexico was not only the top exporter of goods to the United States last year, it is also its largest overall trade partner, with two-way trade totaling almost US $800 billion last year. Mexico, which exported goods worth US $ 475.6 billion to the United States last year, has gone from trailing China by over $80 billion in 2022 to beating it by close to $50 billion in 2023.
