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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who is Francisco Javier Román Bardales? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mexico News Daily  

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

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

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

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

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

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

The OECD’s projections 

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

  • 2025: 4.4%
  • 2026: 3.5%

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

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

  • 2025 -1.3%
  • 2026 -0.6%

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

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

Mexico’s response: ‘We have a plan’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With reports from La Jornada and El Economista

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Environment Ministry declares 3 Maya communities natural protected areas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With reports from La Jornada and Imagen Radio

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With reports from Milenio, N+ and Oceanographic

Sheinbaum announces 6 ‘immediate’ actions to combat Mexico’s missing persons crisis

By
MND Staff
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People holding signs seeking missing persons in Jalisco
On Monday, President Sheinbaum pledged that her government "won't tolerate the construction of half-truths or falsehoods" about the Teuchitlán case or any of the more than 100,000 cases of disappearance in Mexico. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)

As the discovery of a so-called extermination camp in the state of Jalisco continues to provoke horror in Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday announced six “immediate” actions against the crime of disappearance.

At her morning press conference, Sheinbaum declared that “attending to the problem of missing persons” — there are more than 100,000 in Mexico — is a “national priority” for her government.

Sheinbaum committed to six "immediate" actions to combat the crisis of disappearances in Mexico following a strong civic response to the news of Teuchitlán last week.
Sheinbaum committed to six “immediate” actions to combat the crisis of disappearances in Mexico following a strong civic response to the news of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, last week. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

Reading from a prepared statement, the president said that discovering the truth in missing persons cases — such as that of the 43 students who disappeared in Guerrero in 2014 — and delivering justice for the victims and their families is also a priority for her administration.

“The construction of peace and the fight against impunity is a central tenet of my government. That’s why I’ve made the decision to carry out the following immediate actions,” she said.

Sheinbaum’s 6 actions against abductions 

The president said that the crime of enforced disappearance in Mexico used to be “perpetrated by the state.”

However, abductions now are “mainly linked” to organized crime, Sheinbaum said.

“In any case, it’s an extremely serious crime that must be prevented, dealt with and punished,” she said.

“That’s why we’ll act within the framework of the law but with the complete force of the state,” Sheinbaum said.

The six “immediate actions against the crime of disappearance” she outlined are as follows.

1. Strengthening of the National Search Commission 

Sheinbaum said she would sign a decree to strengthen the National Search Commission.

The aim, she said, is to bolster the commission’s capacity to respond to missing persons cases.

Sheinbaum also said that the decree will allow the commission to acquire new “technological equipment” to assist search efforts.

2. Legislative reform 

Sheinbaum said she would submit two reform proposals to Congress this Thursday.

Her first proposal is a reform to the General Population Law in order to “consolidate” a person’s CURP identity number as their “only source of identity.”

Sheinbaum said that the reform would allow a missing person’s CURP to be checked against “all administrative records in the country” in order to “generate alerts that facilitate the identification of signs of life.”

In late 2023, then interior minister Luisa María Alcalde announced that the government had discovered in official databases signs of life — albeit not “proof of life” — of almost 18,000 people registered as missing. Providing an example of the kind of thing she was talking about, she said that a girl registered as missing in 2014 had subsequently benefited from a range of government programs and schemes, indicating that she was not in fact missing (or was a victim of identity theft).

The first reform Sheinbaum spoke about on Monday could help authorities identify and locate a person registered as missing if that person registers for a government program, for example.

The president said that her second proposal is a reform to the General Law on Enforced Disappearance. If approved by Congress, the proposed reform would:

  • Allow the creation of a “Single National Forensic Information Base” that compiles information from state and federal authorities including Attorney General’s Offices.
  • Allow the creation of a “National Human Identification Platform” that “communicates and updates all administrative and forensic records” held by authorities across Mexico. This platform, Sheinbaum said, would help to “identify signs of life” of missing persons “or even deceased people.”
  • Provide additional support to the National Center for Human Identification, which would be responsible for the management of the aforesaid platform.
3. New protocols for ‘immediate’ missing person alerts 

Sheinbaum said the government would “incorporate in the law new protocols” that allow “immediate” search alerts to be issued to security forces and authorities across the country when a person is reported as missing.

The president said that the new protocols would also allow authorities to immediately open investigations in missing person cases “without the need to wait 72 hours as still occurs in some states of the republic.”

“… Those 72 hours can be key,” she said later in her Monday morning press conference.

4. Increasing the penalty for the crime of disappearance 

Sheinbaum said the government would “put the crime of disappearance (desaparición) on the same level as kidnapping” (secuestro) in terms of seriousness.

While the two crimes are similar, a disappearance, or enforced disappearance, occurs with the authorization, support or involvement of authorities. The abduction of a person by a crime group that colludes in one way or another with authorities, whether they are municipal, state or federal authorities, could be classified as a desaparición rather than a secuestro.

Remarkably, the maximum sentence for a person convicted of the crime of disappearance is less severe than that for a person convicted of kidnapping.

By putting the crime of disappearance on par with kidnapping, the maximum sentence for a person convicted of the former crime would increase by 20 years to 80 years.

Sheinbaum said she would also seek to make “investigation procedures for the crime of disappearance” uniform across all states of Mexico.

5. The publication of missing persons statistics on a monthly basis 

Sheinbaum said the government would publish on a monthly basis statistics on missing persons derived from federal and state investigations into cases of disappearance.

6. Strengthening of the Executive Commission for the Attention of Victims

Sheinbaum said that the government would strengthen the Executive Commission for the Attention of Victims in order to better provide “accompaniment, support and advice” to the families of missing persons.

Sheinbaum pledges no impunity and no concealment in Teuchitlán case 

After outlining the government’s “six immediate actions against the crime of disappearance,” Sheinbaum turned her focus to the Teuchitlán case involving the discovery this month of burnt human remains along with more than 150 pairs of shoes and other discarded personal items at a property in the state of Jalisco.

Search collective calls on authorities to investigate a grisly find in Jalisco

The property in the municipality of Teuchitlán has been variously described as an “extermination camp,” an “apparent mass killing site” and even “Mexico’s Auschwitz.”

Reading from her prepared statement, Sheinbaum said that her government is “committed to providing certainty and truth” to the families of missing persons whose remains might be at the Teuchitlán ranch linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The Federal Attorney General’s Office is investigating the case and will provide a preliminary report on it at a press conference scheduled for Wednesday.

“There will be no impunity,” Sheinbaum said.

The president also said that her government “won’t hide anything” related to the Teuchitlán case.

“The truth must always prevail. In my government there will be no construction of dark historical truths — never,” she said.

That was a reference to the widely discredited “historical truth” presented by the government of former president Enrique Peña Nieto (2012-18) after the abduction and presumed murder of 43 Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College students in September 2014. Earlier this month, the Sheinbaum administration created a new investigative unit to review the still unresolved case.

On Monday, the president pledged that her government “won’t tolerate the construction of half-truths or falsehoods” about the Teuchitlán case or any other case.

“We will always stand for truth and justice,” she said.

Mexico News Daily 

Editor’s note: This story previously misstated the year that 43 Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College students were disappeared in Guerrero, Mexico. This occurred in September 2014, not September 2024.

The best jacaranda-watching spots in Mexico City

By
Andrea Fischer
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Jacaranda trees in Mexico City
Spring is Jacaranda season in Mexico City. Here are the very best places to have a contemplative experiences surrounded by glorious trees. (Andrea Román/Pexels)

March paints Mexico City in purple, both for the feminist resistance movements and the jacaranda awakening in spring. Very much like Tatsugoro Matsumoto, the Japanese gardener who introduced the species to Mexico, we capital-dwellers are eager to watch the jacarandas bloom with the coming of spring every year.

The city’s busiest arteries, like Avenida de los Insurgentes and Paseo de la Reforma, suddenly bloom with a canopy of light purple flowers. The blooming is so bountiful that these great avenues are carpeted with a bed of fallen flowers. The best part is that you can watch the trees, heavy with blossom, almost anywhere in town.

Jacaranda tree blooming in between city buildings.
The jacaranda tree is ubiquitous around Mexico City, where it was first brought to Mexico from South America in the 1930s. (Alfonso Aguirre/Unsplash)

Watching these majestic trees from a quiet spot is a simple joy. If you’re not very much into crowded places and are really looking for a more contemplative experience of the jacarandas, here’s an insider’s digest of the best residential places to watch the trees in all their lilac glory.

Centro Histórico dressed in a flower gown

If you’re visiting Mexico City this spring and happen to stay in the Historic Center, head to Palacio de Bellas Artes for a first glimpse of the jacaranda trees. You can find them on one side of the museum, providing shade for carefree passers-by, who can’t help but look up to take photos of themselves with the little purple flowers.

This is a tourist-friendly spot, given that there is a public area with benches in front of Palacio de Bellas Artes to sit and simply watch the trees in full bloom. Continue walking through Avenida Juárez up to Hemiciclo a Juárez in Alameda Central, beautifully framed by flowers in the background. You can also sit on the benches and enjoy a nice ice cream while you watch the trees — if you’re feeling adventurous, try the ones in the “carritos” or street carts. My personal suggestion is ‘nieve de limón,’ which will both quench your thirst and cool you off

Ever since President Obregón allowed the planting of jacaranda trees across Mexico City, capitalinos have awaited their purple bloom in spring. (Roberto Lozano/Pexels)

If you’re willing to take in the full jacaranda experience and enjoy walking at your own leisure, consider heading to Reforma Avenue. Reach The Angel of Independence and fill your eyes in purple wonder. And yes, that is exactly what spring feels like in Mexico City.

On a side note, please consider that spring is warm in Mexico City, with expected temperatures of 25 to 30 C (77 to 80 F) this year. If possible, I would strongly suggest bringing a bottle of water and a pair of shades to avoid heat strokes. Remember, spring is the driest season in town, so take your precautions.

Quiet spots to Jacaranda watch in Mexico City

I’m not a people person. At all. Much less am I someone who likes crowds. Instead, I enjoy quiet moments of contemplation, particularly when jacarandas are in full bloom in Mexico City. Believe it or not, you can find places in our chaotic capital that offer these experiences for quiet introverts like myself.

If you’re staying in town for a while (or live here), I would strongly suggest visiting residential neighborhoods in which jacaranda trees grow. Here are some of my personal favorite spots to enjoy the blooms.

Colonia Narvarte

The Jacaranda corridor in Concepción Beistegui is simply one of the most magnificent I have seen in my entire life. (Muaaz/Pexels)

If you really want to see Jacarandas in full bloom, head straight to Concepción Beistegui street, in the heart of Colonia Narvarte. Just in front of Centro Universitario de México (CUM), a corridor of light purple flowers arches the street. It is certainly a sight to see, particularly during the first weeks of April.

If you search for CUM in your Google Maps app, the address that will pop up is Nicolás San Juan 728, Narvarte Poniente. However, that is not where you will find the jacaranda corridor. Instead, head to Concepción Beistegui Street and prepare to be flabbergasted by the natural beauty of the trees as they tower from the sidewalks and break the road with their strong roots.

You can take a leisurely walk across the alley and then have a lovely latte at Café Buendía, which you can pair with their wonderful homemade pastries. Try brunching at their wonderful terrace, sheltered by the shade of native plants of the borough. My personal favorite is their banana and chocolate bread, but they also have absolutely vegan and gluten-free options available every day.

  • Jacaranda Corridor: C. Concepción Beistegui, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juárez, 03020 Ciudad de México, CDMX.
  • Buendía Panycafé: Anaxágoras 630-B, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juárez, 03020 Ciudad de México, CDMX.

Hipódromo Condesa

If you’re staying in the Roma-Condesa area, there is a good chance your window will be filled with Jacaranda flowers in the morning. (Angel Rkaoz/Pexels)

Just picture it: a nice, warm chai latte in the morning, watching the sunrise behind the branches of the jacaranda trees, heavy with purple flowers. My favourite is Orquídea Café, a lovely coffee shop on Amsterdam Avenue facing the neighbourhood’s iconic median strip. However, you can try practically any coffee shop on the circuit, as they’re all guaranteed to be a nice setting for your Jacaranda contemplation endeavours.

If you’re more of a forest-bather — and enjoy a nice stroll — I would strongly suggest walking around the Amsterdam circuit. Decades ago, horses ran across present-day Ámstedam Street. Now, Mexico City dwellers can enjoy the sight of magnificent Jacarandas during a warm spring afternoon.

  • Orquídea Café: Ámsterdam 147, Hipódromo, Cuauhtémoc, 06100 Ciudad de México, CDMX.

Chimalistac

Jacaranda trees feel like a natural part of Chimalistac’s colonial architecture. (Andrea Ayala/Pexels)

Chimalistac is one of the most beautiful and best-preserved corners of the colonial era in Mexico City. Located south of the capital, both its civil and religious buildings are often framed with several jacaranda trees: quarry walls and purple flowers — it’s the quintessential spring postcard from the Mexican capital.

This picturesque colonial corner in Mexico City is the perfect hybrid between Coyoacán’s bohemian demeanour and San Ángel’s elegant feel. Most of the homes are still residential, and often have private areas which — ironically — you can easily access by car. In all of these, you can get glimpses of jacaranda trees without the rush of the city’s tourist hot spots.

After paying a due visit to Parque El Tagle, where you can feast upon the jacarandas covering the sky, my personal choice would be to head to “Octavio Paz” library. Head directly to the second floor, to the library’s cafeteria and grab a table with a panoramic view. As an introverted insider’s suggestion, rest assured: this will be the ideal place to be with one’s thoughts — and simply fill one’s gaze with the mystical sight of jacaranda trees in full bloom.

  • Parque El Tagle: Arenal 3, Colonia Agrícola Chimalistac, Alcaldía Álvaro Obregón, 01050, Ciudad de México, CDMX.
  • “Octavio Paz” Library: Av. Miguel Ángel de Quevedo 115, Chimalistac, Álvaro Obregón, 01070, Ciudad de México, CDMX.

Andrea Fischer contributes to the features desk at Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to be an advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.

Everything you should know about birth control in Mexico

By
Sarah DeVries
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a range of contraceptive measures for birth control in Mexico
Getting hold of contraception in Mexico is actually quite straightforward if you know how. (Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition/Unsplash)

As I was sitting at a stoplight today, three different men approached my car. They all had spray bottles and accessories for a quick windshield clean. At different times, they all squirted some water on my windshield, only stopping after a significant amount of finger wagging “no” from me.

I didn’t have any change on me, and was not in the mood to search my car desperately for any, either. “No means no, mister!” I muttered to myself when they finally left me alone. “Sheesh.”

windshield washers
Too late. (Archive)

Is this what they’re like in bed too, I wondered? “Come on, I’ve already started! We can’t turn this around now!”

I’m probably not being fair to these dudes. If all the money I got was from people’s volunteer change for a service they didn’t ask for under the blaring sun, I’d probably be pretty insistent, too.

But I was thinking about this article, and about sex, and about pregnancy, and about statistics, and about — of course — birth control options in Mexico.

And looking at the statistics regarding unplanned pregnancies, you’d think birth control is hard to get ahold of in Mexico.

A large Mexican family
A lack of access to birth control, or just a love for big families?  (María José Martínez/Cuartoscuro)

It is not. And while Mexico has the highest rate of unplanned pregnancies in the OECD, there are some signs that those numbers are going down.

I am not here to judge anyone, of course. Plenty of women and girls who get pregnant did not necessarily have a say in the matter. Unfortunately, laws regarding rape — including statutory — and sexual coercion are about as easy to enforce as most other laws around here are. For many crimes, impunity reigns.

But let’s talk about prevention. For this, we shall pretend that we live in a perfect world in which all sexual encounters are fun, respectful, and consensual. That’s the hope I think most of us have for each other.

As someone who’s spent her adult life in Mexico, I’ve put quite a bit of energy myself into not getting pregnant when I didn’t want to get pregnant. So far, success! Just a few more years till full-on menopause and I’m home free, people!

Two brightly coloured condoms
Despite stereotypes, these are not so hard to find here. (Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition/Unsplash)

Thankfully, Mexico does its darndest to help make avoiding accidental pregnancy possible. Let me count the ways!

Public health services provide birth control in Mexico

It’s free! I first became aware of this at my local clinic when I took my then-baby for her vaccines. There was a table set up with information on sexual health all spread out! Options were many: condoms, birth control pills, IUDs, even those implant things.

Of course, actually walking up to the table to examine options meant doing so in front of the audience of strangers in a waiting room, and therein lies one of the major problems: people, especially young people, want to investigate that kind of thing in private.

A friend who used to live in a small town where many girls got married, pregnant, by 15 spelled it out for me. “The ladies who work at these small city clinics gossip. And for a teenage girl, planning to have sex is seen as almost worse than having sex and getting pregnant accidentally.” Yikes.

While the Mexican government is incredibly progressive when it comes to sexual health as a major component of public health, the culture — especially in some of these small communities — can mean the prevalence of much more conservative views overall. Next!

Vasectomies

Vasectomies are also a free service through public health institutes, and I’ve had several friends who have taken advantage of the service. Mostly, these friends have been urban and educated, because again, health policy is not always a match for culture. I’ve heard just as many men refuse to get their male pets neutered because they wanted to protect their sense of masculinity. My best guess is that these are not the men going in for vasectomies themselves. But they could, and the service is there waiting for them. I wish they’d all go the moment they realize they don’t want more or any kids.

Dr Simi mascot with Facundo Gómez
You could also ask Dr. Simi for help.(Farmacías Similares/Instagram)

You can also “get your tubes tied” if you’re a woman at a public hospital, though some will not perform reversible procedures on younger women who don’t have kids.

Private health services

Because of the long wait times, most women who can afford to see a private gynecologist see a private gynecologist. This is good, as it spreads things out a bit. The public hospitals are crowded enough! Most private doctors have up-to-date practices and equipment and can help women make decisions about the ideal birth control for them. IUDs, both hormonal and non-hormonal, are popular choices. They last several years, and last I checked ran at about $2,000 MXN. They can also, of course, perform surgeries and give injections and insert implants.

Pharmacies

Unlike in the United States, you do not need a prescription to buy things like birth control pills or patches. You can simply walk in and ask for them! You can obviously buy condoms as well, though you usually need to ask for what you want from behind the counter.

This can be a little awkward if you want to browse — “sorry, could you show me the ribbed ones again?” — though I was delighted one day when I saw a poster board with the different brands literally taped on with their prices written underneath. Adorable and helpful (and unusually for Mexico, extremely convenient for accessing birth control)!

Sex shops

I know this is kind of a weird entry, but hey — they are into safe sex! They also have many suggestions for how to practice it in a fun way, so really, you can’t go wrong!

So, there are lots of ways to not get pregnant. To gain access to them, of course, there’s a bit of planning and legwork involved. Can we start a public campaign that makes planning for sex as fun-sounding as spontaneity? Public education programs are trying.

Hopefully, the rest of the culture will catch up soon.

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

Coca-Cola stops marketing in Mexican schools

By
MND Staff
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11
Close-up of a Coke can.
Coca-Cola says it is on board with the government-sponsored campaign to eliminate unhealthy food from Mexican schools. (Cuartoscuro)

Coca-Cola stopped selling several of its products in elementary schools across Mexico as of Thursday, the Mexican Coca-Cola Industry (IMCC) announced in a statement last week. 

The IMCC “firmly supports this strategy, sharing the goal of contributing to the health care of Mexican girls and boys” reads the statement.

“The IMCC reinforces its commitment not to sell any product in its portfolio that has warning labels or warnings on its front label in elementary schools in Mexico,” it adds.

The IMCC recently joined Mexico’s “Live Healthy, Live Happy” program, a strategy launched by President Claudia Sheinbaum on Feb. 25. 

The national strategy aims to ban the sale of ultra-processed and high-calorie food and drink in public and private schools, instead offering healthy alternatives with training being provided to school officials on the menus. It will also promote access to drinking water, raise awareness among parents and pressure the food industry to develop more nutritious products.

According to the National Health Survey, around 98% of Mexico’s schools sell junk food, while 95% sell sugary drinks.

A sign protesting against Coca-Cola outside a Mexican school
Nearly all Mexican schools are currently allowing sugary drinks on their school grounds. (Isabel Mateos/Cuartoscuro)

Meanwhile, obesity affects around 40% of children and adolescents in Mexico. The program aims to improve the health of 11 million elementary students and reduce public spending on the cost of diseases related to overweight. 

Studies suggest that Mexico is the highest consumer of Coca-Cola globally, with an annual consumption rate often estimated at 160 liters per capita. 

The policy to ban junk food in schools was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) on September 30, 2024.

The DOF published the following standards for food and drink in schools:

  • Foods must be of natural origin or minimally processed
  • Seasonal fruits and vegetables must be offered 
  • For foods of animal origin, only poultry, such as chicken and turkey, is allowed and must be prepared without fat and skin 
  • These foods should be cooked using minimal sugar and oil 
  • Access to drinking water must be guaranteed, free of charge
  • Caffeinated drinks are prohibited

In October, Education Minister Mario Delgado told reporters at a press conference “We are one of the countries with the world’s highest levels of childhood obesity and we can’t continue like this anymore.”   

The new rules on unhealthy food and drink will come into effect on March 29. Schools that do not comply with the ban could be fined between 545 and 5,450 pesos (US $27 and $273).

The sale of drinks with warning labels will also be prohibited in stores and by street vendors in areas surrounding schools. 

A government-sponsored health campaign commenced in schools across the country on March 12. The scheme will provide health checks for 35,000 students from 2,094 elementary schools, including measuring students’ height and weight, eye and oral health checks, and the creation of digital records. 

With reports from El Sol de México, Revista Zócalo and El Cronista

Sheinbaum confirms her old phone and email were hacked: Monday’s mañanera recapped

By
MND Staff
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President Claudia Sheinbaum adjusts the microphone as she stands at a podium during her mañanera conference, where she discussed the hacking of her phone
President Claudia Sheinbaum prepares to speak at her Monday morning press conference. (Presidencia)

At her Monday morning press conference, Claudia Sheinbaum read out a statement declaring that attending to Mexico’s missing persons “problem” is a “national priority” for the Mexican government.

She also pledged that “there will be no impunity” in the Teuchitlán case involving the discovery of burnt human remains along with 200 pairs of shoes and other discarded personal items at a property in the state of Jalisco.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reads off a projection of Mexico's newly approved constitutional ban on planting GM corn
The president signed off on a constitutional ban on planting genetically modified corn Monday morning. (Presidencia)

Near the end of her press conference, Sheinbaum signed a decree endorsing a constitutional reform that bans the cultivation of genetically modified corn in Mexico. Congress approved the reform earlier this year.

In addition to outlining “six immediate actions against the crime of abduction” and signing the aforesaid decree, the president responded to reporters’ questions on a variety of topics.

This mañanera report focuses on the responses she gave to questions on three of those topics: the hacking of President Sheinbaum’s cell phone, the United States’ construction of an additional section of border wall and the recent conviction and sentencing of the sister of 2024 opposition presidential candidate Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz on kidnapping charges.

Sheinbaum’s cell phone and email account were hacked 

A reporter asked the president about a New York Times report that said her cell phone was hacked shortly after Mexico extradited 29 drug cartel figures to the United States on Feb. 27.

“Soon after the handover, Ms. Sheinbaum’s cellphone was hacked, according to several people familiar with the matter,” the Times reported last Friday without providing any additional details.

Sheinbaum confirmed on Monday morning that her phone was hacked, but clarified that it is an old phone she no longer uses for communication that is “more personal” in nature.

She also said that a Yahoo Mail account she opened years ago was hacked. Sheinbaum said she didn’t know who provided the information about the phone hacking to The New York Times.

She said that Apple “immediately” informed the government’s Digital Transformation Agency about the hacking of a cell phone with a number she has had for some 17 years.

Mug shots of cartel members who were mass-extradited to the US in February 2025
Sheinbaum’s phone was hacked earlier this year, shortly after 29 cartel figures were extradited to the U.S. (Gobierno de México)

“Now, which telephone was it? Do you remember that during the [2024 presidential election] campaign a telephone number of mine came out? It was my number, one that I still keep, a number that everyone knew,” Sheinbaum said.

She said that current Campeche Governor Layda Sansores gave her that “telephone number,” and a phone, in 2008 during the “Las Adelitas” oil defense protest movement and as a consequence she has a certain “affection” for it.

At the time, Sheinbaum said she had a prepaid cell phone plan.

“I worked in UNAM then … and the credit used to run out … and then people couldn’t call me,” the president said, referring to her days as an academic at the National Autonomous University.

“So Layda, who was a senator then, said to me: ‘I’m going to give you this phone and I’m going to pay for it so you don’t have that problem,'” she said.

“Afterward I made it mine, Layda didn’t pay for it anymore, around three years later I put it in my name,” Sheinbaum said.

The president said she kept the number after she was elected mayor of the Mexico City borough of Tlalpan in 2015 and after she was sworn in as mayor of the capital in 2018.

“A lot of people have that telephone number … but it’s a telephone that I no longer use for my more personal communication, let’s say,” Sheinbaum said.

She said she wanted to keep the number “for communication with the people” — i.e. her supporters and other constituents — and noted that she only responded to “requests” she received to the corresponding phone “every now and then.”

President Sheinbaum takes a phone selfie with a supporter
The president said she planned to keep using the hacked phone number or non-sensitive communication, to stay in touch with supporters. (Presidencia)

“That was the phone they hacked,” Sheinbaum added.

“… Who hacked it? We don’t know. They’re investigating, it’s hard to know,” she said.

With regard to her hacked email account, Sheinbaum said she believed that it was “the first email account” she opened.

She said that her Yahoo email address is “very, very old” and a lot of people have it.

Sheinbaum stressed that she has an official email account with “all the cybersecurity conditions of the government and all the rest.”

“… I now have another telephone number that I’m not going to say here for obvious reasons,” she added.

Based on Sheinbaum’s remarks on Monday, it appears that the hackers were not able to obtain any sensitive information pertaining to the activities, discussions and dealings of the current president and federal government.

‘We don’t agree with the wall’

A reporter noted that United States Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that “seven new miles of construction” would be added to the wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

Customs and Border Protection said in a statement on Saturday that that it had “awarded the first border wall contract of President Trump’s second term in office to Granite Construction Co. for [US] $70,285,846 to construct approximately seven miles of new border wall in Hidalgo County, Texas.”

A view of the border wall between Mexico and the U.S., with the wall stretching over a hill into the distance.
Sheinbaum reiterated that Mexico sees the U.S. border wall as ineffective for stopping migration and drug trafficking. (Greg Bulla / Unsplash)

With respect to the announcement, Sheinbaum told reporters that as “you know, we don’t agree with the wall.”

“We don’t believe that it solves the [illegal immigration and drug smuggling] problem,” she said.

“I remember the conversation that [former] President López Obrador had with President Trump on one occasion. He talked about it here at the mañanera, he told [Trump]: ‘Well, you can build the wall but they will still dig tunnels,'” Sheinbaum said.

“… The best way to attend to migration is by attending to the causes, investing … in the places … where there are people who have to migrate out of necessity. That will always be our opinion,” she said.

“And we have always said it is better to build bridges than walls,” Sheinbaum added.

Sheinbaum declines to comment on case involving presidential rival’s sister 

A reporter noted that the sister of 2024 presidential candidate Xóchitl Gálvez Ruiz was sentenced to 89 years in jail for kidnapping and other offenses.

The reporter noted that Jacqueline Malinali Gálvez Ruiz confessed that she used her sister’s name to “attract her kidnapping victims,” and asked the president whether she had any opinion on the matter.

Sheinbaum responded that she didn’t want to comment on the case involving the sister of the woman she defeated at last year’s presidential election.

“Whoever commits a crime must be held accountable and punished. That’s as much as I’ll say,” she said.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)

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