The monumental Olmec sculpture known as the Portal to the Underworld has returned home to the state of Morelos after it was illegally taken out of the country over 60 years ago.
In a ceremony with close to 400 attendees, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) officially returned Monument 9, also known as thePortal to the Underworld, to the community of Chalcatzingo. The 2-meter-tall stone carving is now exhibited at the town’s newly-reopened Chalcatzingo Museum.
The piece is now on display in a small museum in Morelos. (Gerardo Peña/INAH)
“This is a historic day for Morelos’s territories, which have witnessed the development of various Mesoamerican settlements,” Morelos Governor Margarita González Saravia said during the opening ceremony of the Chalcatzingo Museum. “Examples of culture, such as Monument 9, allow us to enhance the identity of the region’s residents, rich in archaeological remains.”
The Olmecs were the first major civilization of Mexico. They lived in present-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco from 2500 B.C. to A.D. 200.
The 2,500-year-old sculpture was restored in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Office of Culture. Ana Bertha Miramontes Mercado, head of INAH’s National Coordination for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage (CNCPC) said that Portal to the Underworld is a unique piece because it is not common for sculptures of its type to have perforations.
According to Olmec cosmogony, these types of cavities symbolize the entrance to the underworld.
A successful repatriation from the United States
The gigantic piece arrived at Chalcatzingo Museum on Feb. 12, from the Regional Museum of the People of Morelos (Murepumo) in Cuernavaca. It was repatriated to Mexico on May 19, 2023, from the United States, as part of the #MiPatrominioNoSeVende campaign (#MyHeritageIsNotForSale).
The massive sculpture was Mexico’s most sought-after archeological piece due to its significant historical value. After its return to Mexico, head of INAH Diego Prieto Hernández said that the Olmec monolith “is patrimony of universal culture and, at the same time, represents a celebration of friendship between two peoples.” He also praised the invaluable help provided by the U.S. authorities for its return after it was stolen in the 1960s.
The former consul general of Mexico in New York, Jorge Islas López, spearheaded the legal process for the repatriation of the monolith. During his speech at the opening ceremony of the Chalcatzingo Museum, he said his priority was to defend the heritage and cultural sovereignty of Mexico.
Monument 9 in its new home in southeastern Morelos. (Gerardo Peña/INAH)
“We showed the world that Mexico defends what is its own and that the cultural assets belong to the Indigenous peoples,” he stressed. “Now, it will be the Chalcas [residents of Chalcatzingo] who will take care of this piece with responsibility and pride, so that future generations value the origin, the roots and the background of who we are and where we come from.”
Former U.S. Ambassador Roberta Jacobson, former Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier and former U.S. Senator Jeff Flake discussed immigration and deportation at the 2025 Future of Mexico Forum, co-hosted by Mexico News Daily in Los Cabos. (Cuartoscuro, Gage Skidmore)
On Feb. 6-7, Mexico News Daily and Querencia hosted the “Future of Mexico Forum” at the Querencia Private Golf & Beach Club in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur. The forum brought together leaders from Mexico and the United States to discuss the future of Mexico across a diverse range of topics. As part of this forum, the MND team conducted a series of exclusive interviews with each of the speakers and will be sharing the highlights with you in this series.
The participants in the forum session “Migration and its impact on Mexico” were:
Former Mexican Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier, who will soon take up a new position as head of the federal government’s Institute for Mexicans Abroad.
Former United States Congressman and Senator Jeff Flake, who served as U.S. ambassador to Turkey between 2022 and 2024.
Former United States Ambassador to Mexico Roberta Jacobson, who prior to her ambassadorship served as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.
During a forum discussion with Aspen Institute executive vice president Elliot Gerson, and in interviews with Mexico News Daily, Clouthier, Flake and Jacobson discussed a range of issues related to migration and immigration — including the threat of mass deportations to Mexico during the second Trump administration.
This article draws on their comments in their discussion with Gerson and their remarks to Mexico News Daily.
A personal account of Mexico-US migration in years gone by
Jeff Flake told Mexico News Daily that during his childhood and youth his family employed Mexican migrant workers on their cattle ranch in northern Arizona.
At the time, Flake said, “the Border Patrol didn’t really patrol the border at all but they would sometimes do raids of farms [and] businesses far from the border.”
Former U.S. Senator Jeff Flake at the Future of Mexico Forum in Los Cabos. (María Meléndez/Mexico News Daily)
“… We had one worker, 19 times he was picked up by the Border Patrol and [he] just made his way back [to the U.S. from Mexico]. Sometimes they’d even flag down the Border Patrol when they needed a ride home for a celebration or a birthday party,” he said.
In the 1970s and ’80s, Flake continued, there was “a more seasonal, healthy pattern of migration, I guess, because it would tend to be the workers and not the entire family.”
“Then they started to enforce Border Patrol on the border and migrants would come and say, ‘Well, it’s tough to cross the border now so I’m going to stay and I’m going to bring my family,'” he said.
“… The [migration] pattern changed completely over time. But still, even in those latter stages [of a more open border], you didn’t have the security concerns that are paramount today,” Flake said.
Flake: The Mexico-US border is now ‘largely under control’
Mexico News Daily Future of Mexico Forum: In conversation with Jeff Flake
Flake said that “the Trump administration, by reversing a lot of the executive orders the Biden administration did, has brought the border itself largely under control, as it was trending during the latter months of the Biden administration because he reversed his own policies.”
“I would argue that in the early days of the Biden administration, when he reversed some of the Trump policies, that was just a bright neon sign for the world, for smugglers all over the world to push people toward the border, and that led to an untenable situation,” he said.
“… For all intents and purposes it was almost … [an open border],” Flake said.
Clouthier on the need to address the root causes of migration
Mexico News Daily Future of Mexico Forum: In conversation with Tatiena Clouthier
The program is “one way” to stem migration to and through Mexico, and to the United States, she said.
Clouthier noted that “one of things” ex-President López Obrador told former U.S. President Joe Biden “all the time” was that in order to reduce migration from Central America nations and other Western Hemisphere nations, “it was important to have investment and these programs that go the roots of poverty.”
Tatiana Clouthier, incoming director of the federal Institute for Mexicans Abroad, discussed migration policy and border security with Mexico News Daily. (María Ruiz/Mexico News Daily)
She recalled that on one occasion when she was speaking with Biden, López Obrador and former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris about migration issues, Harris expressed concerns that U.S. foreign aid wasn’t always used as intended.
López Obrador — an advocate of cash transfers to disadvantaged people — “said that what you have to do is give the money directly to the people,” Clouthier said.
Clouthier advocates beefing up of security on Mexico’s southern border
Most of the millions of non-Mexican migrants who reached the Mexico-U.S. border in recent years first entered Mexico via its southern border with Guatemala.
Jacobson, U.S. ambassador to Mexico between 2016 and 2018, described the border with Guatemala as “porous.”
Clouthier, Flake and Jacobson all advocated the opening up of more pathways for people to migrate to the United States legally, including via an expansion of the existing H-2A temporary agricultural workers program.
“We obviously need to have more robust legal avenues for people to come, both those who are skilled in tech or those who are simply willing to work hard,” said Flake, who added that the numbers of people accepted via certain programs could rise during the Trump administration.
For her part, Clouthier highlighted that there is demand for workers in the United States, and said “there is a way to find a door” to more legal migration options “and not only close the door.”
Jacobson: Trump’s mass deportation plan has created a ‘pervasive fear’ among immigrants in US
Jacobson said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to carry out what he has called “the largest deportation operation in American history” has created “a pervasive fear throughout the United States” among immigrants.
Creating fear is an “intentional” tactic of the current U.S. government, she said.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Roberta Jacobson described Trump’s threats of mass deportation as an intentional fear tactic. (Tercero Díaz/Cuartoscuro)
Now, the young “dreamer” is “once again” afraid of being deported, Jacobson said.
The impact of mass deportations would be ‘staggering,’ Jacobson says
If Trump keeps his word and deports millions of immigrants from the United States the impact on the U.S. economy and society would be “staggering,” Jacobson said.
To understand just how great the impact would be, she recommended watching the 2004 satirical film “A Day Without a Mexican,” which CNN described in 2012 as a “modern-day fable” that “provides a cautionary tale on the assumptions we make about the 11 million unauthorized immigrants who live and work in America every day.”
Flake told Mexico News Daily that undocumented migrants in the United States “in almost all cases” have “ties that bind” them to the U.S.
“They’re immigrants who are in the United States with a child who is a [U.S.] citizen, or a spouse who is a permanent legal resident, or some other tie that binds so these are very difficult things to work through,” he said.
Flake said he was “definitely concerned” about the United States losing a lot of immigrant workers if Trump’s mass deportation plan eventuates.
“We would be a poorer country in the U.S. without people who are willing to come and just work hard,” he said.
For her part, Clouthier highlighted — as President Claudia Sheinbaum has done — that 80% of the earnings of Mexicans in the United States remain in the U.S.
She asserted that the United States “cannot be treating immigrants the way they are” and declared that Mexico and the U.S. “are married and there’s no way we can get divorced.”
Mexico ready to receive deportees, says Clouthier
Clouthier highlighted that the Mexican government has prepared to receive Mexicans deported from the United States with the “México te abraza” or “Mexico embraces you” program.
The program includes monetary assistance for deportees, temporary accommodation, transport within Mexico and help to obtain essential identity documents, among other measures.
Clouthier also noted that the private sector has committed to employ a significant number of deportees, and stressed that Mexico, like the United States, needs more workers, especially in the north of the country.
The former economy minister stopped short of making a prediction about whether Trump’s mass deportation plan will eventuate, but noted that “Democrats have deported more people than Trump” did in his first term as president.
“Nonetheless they were very quiet at doing so,” Clouthier said.
“… And Trump needs to speak out so he can give the show to his people,” she said.
El Cuyo is a quiet strip of paradise in Yucatán (Pavel Kirillov/CC SA 2.0)
For travelers on the Yucatán Peninsula looking to get off the beaten path, El Cuyo is a hidden gem perched on a narrow strip of sand between a marsh and the Gulf of Mexico.
This town in the peninsula’s northeast is a kiteboarding paradise, but it’s also a haven for those looking to unwind in world-class boutique accommodations and savor a culinary scene that highlights fresh, local flavors — all at surprisingly affordable prices.
Kiteboarding is one of El Cuyo’s main tourism drivers. (vinka bravo/CC BY 2.0)
Getting to El Cuyo
There are several ways to reach El Cuyo, including ADO bus routes from Cancún and Mérida — 3 and 4.5 hours, respectively — and driving. The journey is scenic, taking you through rolling pasturelands and along a winding road that sometimes forms a natural tunnel thanks to the overgrown roadside flora.
At one point on our drive from Mérida, we stopped to let our dog stretch, and a friendly horseman rode by. He greeted us and lingered for a relaxed chat, a genuine reflection of the rural charm and welcoming spirit of the peninsula.
Upon arrival, El Cuyo greets visitors with a laid-back charm, featuring sandy, rutted roads and cinder block homes. Like most Mexican towns, it has a zócalo, or central plaza or, but you’ll find little of the tourist-driven commercialism common in other destinations. What stands out is the constant onshore breeze ripping through the palms — a wind that some may find relentless but is the very force that draws kiteboarders to the beach, fueling the village’s burgeoning tourism industry.
Where to stay in El Cuyo
Our first night was spent at Utopia Guesthouse & Yoga Studio, a delightful waterfront home and yoga retreat. This wooden building, built circa 1940, beautifully merges rustic charm with modern amenities. Owner Mario shared his journey of restoring the house from near ruin four years ago, sourcing materials from across Yucatán. The interior design by his wife Cristina added a nautical, homemade touch to this beach house, making it an ideal spot to watch the sunset while kiteboarders skip across the waves. A spacious upstairs terrace is thoughtfully designed for yoga retreats, while bikes, kayaks, and paddle boards are available for guests to explore both the land and sea.
El Cuyo is located within the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, home to huge flocks of flamingos. (Virginie Fialon/Unsplash)
The following night, we stayed at Downwind Deck, a boutique hotel thoughtfully designed with kiteboarders in mind. Owners Courtney and Eugene, both passionate kiteboarders, left behind their corporate careers in the United States to immerse themselves in El Cuyo’s world-class kiteboarding scene. Courtney’s background in corporate design shines through in every detail, from custom pillows to the carefully curated original art.
The lush garden also features inviting hangout areas, including hammocks, cornhole games and a fire pit, creating a perfect space to unwind after a day on the water. Every need of the kiteboarding guest is anticipated and accommodated, creating a luxurious experience for those who spend their days on the water and their nights on ultra-comfortable mattresses. Beyond the surfer-chic accommodations, Downwind Deck offers concierge services tailored to kiteboarders, including trips to chase the best wind conditions and excursions to cenotes or wildlife tours for windless days.
Dining in El Cuyo
On our first evening, we visited El Habanero, a beachside bar with a distinctly Cuban vibe. The sandy floor and relaxed atmosphere create an inviting space just steps from the main plaza and the town pier. The menu features Cuban cuisine, including delicious yucca fritters with aioli sauce and a signature Cuban sandwich served with fries for just 195 pesos. The cocktails are divine: don’t miss the authentic mojito paired with their selection of Cuban cigars. Live salsa and movie nights under the stars make this bar a cultural hub for visitors and locals alike.
Next, we dined at Piccola Italia, run by a Neapolitan brother-sister duo who have been serving traditional Italian dishes here for over four years. Everything is homemade, including their pastas. The bruschetta was fresh and bursting with flavor, and the gnocchi sorrentina was bright and perfectly seasoned. Watching the chef prepare meals in the open kitchen added to the experience. For dessert, we enjoyed homemade limoncello alongside a superb tiramisu that felt authentically European in presentation and taste. The ambiance is relaxed and family-oriented, with the owners’ dogs wandering between tables and neighbors stopping by to say hello.
Another culinary highlight was Zapote, where locally-sourced ingredients shine in every dish. Chef Alex and his partner Maria operate an open-air kitchen that emphasizes simple presentations without compromising flavor. We started with roasted pumpkin soup drizzled with olive and chili oil before moving on to plantain tostones topped with pork ribs and chipotle mayo. The standout dishes were the fish of the day — róbalo in our case — and the locally sourced roasted short ribs. This is fine dining-quality food in a relaxed beach setting with surprisingly affordable prices a can’t-miss during any trip to El Cuyo.
El Cuyo isn’t just a haven for kiteboarders. The town also has options for those seeking relaxation, with plenty of spas, massages and wellness treatments. This isn’t the destination for nightlife enthusiasts, as the town offers no clubs or late-night venues. During our stay, the streets fell silent by 11 p.m., save for the occasional bark of a dog, the distant crow of a rooster or the ever-present wind in the trees.
From its pristine beaches and consistent winds to its thoughtfully designed boutique accommodations and excellent dining options, the town offers a unique mix of adventure and tranquility. Most of all, El Cuyo remains authentic and welcoming, free from the mass-tourism development found in other coastal hotspots. It’s a place where you can truly disconnect and experience Yucatán at its most serene.
It was an adventure like no other: A trip to Mexican immigration. (Bethany Platanella)
Due to some family issues, I’ve been back and forth from the United States more often than usual, an issue when you don’t have Mexican residency. Also due to these issues, I’m not always thinking with the utmost clarity and poise. So when the immigration officer in Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport asked me how long I was planning to stay in Mexico on my tourist visa, I said something really out of character: “two weeks.”
Let me explain. I’ve had every intention of getting my residency and it’s been on my radar for over a year. However, as a freelance writer, my income is never quite steady enough to fulfill the required obligations for economic solvency. Nor is my savings as robust as the Mexican government would deem fit. I’ve been in a limbo of searching for other ways to get the coveted card, so in the meantime, I’ve been sneakily throwing off the immigration officers every time I re-enter Mexico by claiming I’d be staying for varying lengths of time. Sometimes I’d say three months, other times I’d say four months — whatever I said until now, it never mattered. I’d receive a stamp of 180 days and that would be that.
Rumour has it that one of these is the Holy Grail. We can’t be sure that’s wrong. (INM)
Until that fateful afternoon on Jan. 5, when the otherwise friendly officer stamped my passport and wrote “30 días.”I could feel the meltdown coming right there on the ramp that takes you from immigration to the exit doors.
The hunt for residency begins
As soon as I got home I started my search. Where could I go to return to Mexico and get my rightful 180 days? I looked at Colombia. Terrible flights. I looked at Ecuador. A weekend wouldn’t be enough. I considered the U.S. again. Too soon. Remembering I had a trip to Bacalar coming up, I looked at ferries to Belize.
“I did that once,” a British friend informed me. “When I got back to Mexico, they only gave me seven days on my tourist visa.” He’s not the only one. A rapid Google search indicated that travelers of all nationalities had the same experience returning to Mexico from Belize.
If you’re a foreign passport holder, it can be a challenge to get Mexican residency. (Shutterstock)
Suddenly, it dawned on me. Isn’t there some way to get residency when you overstay your tourist visa?
Enter “Regularización por documento vencido,” or the expired document regularization program.
This procedure allows foreign nationals with expired tourist visas to apply for temporary residency without having to travel to a consulate abroad or prove economic solvency.
Meet the facilitator
I immediately hired a facilitator, a common route for foreigners on the road to residency. Mine was recommended by two friends so I felt completely at ease handing over my address, passport and…banking statements?
It seemed that, despite the information the internet had provided me, I would need to prove economic solvency.
I sent six months of banking statements from two separate accounts that showed I just grazed the monthly minimum. I was assured that the balances wouldn’t be scrutinized and I wouldn’t have to prove that deposits were income-specific, something I was told I’d have to do when applying for economic solvency.
My facilitator told me that he would send my information to the immigration office to make sure I was eligible to apply. A day later, my application was granted. The next day, he personally came to collect my passport and let me know he would meet me at the National Migration Institute (INM) in Polanco on Thursday at 8:30 a.m.
Queueing is a fact of life at the INM office. (Foursquare)
When Thursday rolled around, I took the grueling Uber ride in rush hour to Polanco. Upon arrival at 8:24 a.m. I texted my facilitator as I couldn’t find him in the crowd of immigrant hopefuls. He messaged me several minutes later and said he was at the front of the line. He had a packet of immigration papers printed which required a few signatures, my passport and my banking statement. He introduced me to his colleague, a 30-something Mexican woman with a lovely jacket, and informed me that she had been waiting in line since 6 a.m.
Into the INM
At 9 a.m., the doors opened. Having paid a hefty sum for assistance, I was slightly confused as to why I was supposed to arrive 30 minutes prior just to wait around and make small talk. We went inside, but the facilitator stayed outside.
By 9:30, it was clear that I had no appointment and would have to come back the following Tuesday at 9 a.m.. Again, confused, as I thought booking my appointment ahead of time and online was what I had partially paid for, I left the packet of papers with the facilitator, took my passport and went home.
Fast forward to Tuesday. I arrive at 8:30 a.m. sharp and I see my facilitator’s colleague waiting toward the front of the line. We make more small talk for 15 minutes and I ask where the facilitator is, as he has all my required forms. He’s on his way. Five minutes later, he arrives, and I’m again unsure as to why I had to be here at 8:30.
At this point, you’re probably wondering why I didn’t just say something. The answer is I hate confrontation, and at that point I just wanted to get on with the process and be done with it.
Second time’s the charm
Again we go up to the rotunda, only this time, instead of signing in, we’re told to sit in a section to the left and wait for my name to be called. It only takes about 10 minutes before I hear Bet-han-ee Plat-a-neyya and bolt to the desk.
“What do you do?”
“I’m a writer.”
“What’s your monthly income?”
“$4,200.” That, by the way, is nothing more than the required amount to apply for economic solvency.
Still enough to cover the cost of regularization. (Giorgio Trovato/Unsplash)
She tells me to sit and wait to be called again. I chat with the facilitator’s colleague while realizing my bank statements were utterly unnecessary.
The office worker calls me up at 11 AM. I now must move to a different section. At this point, the facilitator’s colleague is no longer able to accompany me, and goes outside until I’m done.
The second section is for payment. I stand in a 20-minute line before I’m able to participate in what looks like a game of musical chairs. Each time a person is called to the counter to make a payment, everyone moves one seat over. This Snake-like dynamic continues for over an hour, when it’s finally my turn to pay. I spend at least 45 minutes standing at the payment counter.
The very sweet officer asks me again about my job and monthly income. He shuffles stacks of papers, clicks on his keyboard, makes copies and asks me to sign eight receipts that somehow coincide with the three payments I’m required to make to acquire a four-year residency permit. Those were the following:
Application fee: 1,780 pesos
Fine for overstaying my tourist visa: 11,201 pesos
A four-year residency permit: 12,529 pesos
The total cost of my regularization, not including facilitator’s fee, was 25,510 pesos.
Resident at last
I am officially invited to the third and final section. When I get there, a woman in uniform barks at me to show my passport before grunting for me to sit down. I sit before a collection of heavily lipsticked women in uniform, each tapping away at their respective computers or taking photos of newly-minted residents for their ID cards.
The most soft-spoken woman of the bunch calls me over.
The final touch: What felt awfully like post-arrest mugshots. (Shutterstock)
She inquires about my birthdate, my height in centimeters and my address, and orders me to remove my jewelry. She takes three photos, a headshot and two profiles. She tells me to sit in the waiting area. Two minutes later while I’m still fiddling with the clasp on my necklace, she holds up a card. I dash toward her.
I receive another stack of papers which include a migration document with my Unique Population Registry Code, or CURP, an 18-character alphanumeric code that identifies every Mexican and resident, along with my shiny beige-colored residency card. Despite the horrible fish-eye camera angle that makes me look like a literal alien in addition to a legal one, I feel myself choke up a little. This is a monumental moment in my life! It’s the first time I’ve ever been an official resident of another country and, despite the six hours I’ve spent waiting in lines, it was a relatively easy process.
If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably wondering one thing.
Was it worth hiring a facilitator to get Mexican residency through regularization?
Would I recommend getting a facilitator to anyone else?
The short answer? No.
The medium answer? No. Beyond the misgivings I’ve mentioned in this article, I can’t verify that there is any instance where the immigration office needs to approve your eligibility to apply prior to your appointment. I could be wrong, but I’m having a hard time proving it.
The long answer? It might depend on the program you’re applying for. It also could be useful if administrative processes in another language stress you out. In my personal experience applying for expired visa regularization, I feel strongly that I could have done this myself and saved 5,000 pesos, which I would have happily spent on another trip to Bacalar, this time with a ferry ride to Belize.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of Mexico News Daily or its affiliates
Bethany Platanella is a travel planner and lifestyle writer based in Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine hit that comes directly after booking a plane ticket, exploring local markets, practicing yoga and munching on fresh tortillas. Sign up to receive her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog or follow her on Instagram.
President Claudia Sheinbaum, center, holds up a proposed reform to the Mexican constitution that she says would reinforce Mexico's sovreignty and impose "the most severe possible" punishments on foreign agents interfering with Mexico's status as a sovereign nation. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
At her Thursday morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to the United States’ designation of six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations by announcing she was sending a constitutional reform proposal to Congress to bolster the protection of Mexico’s sovereignty.
Among other issues, Sheinbaum also spoke about United States President Donald Trump’s decision to launch an anti-drug campaign.
Sheinbaum’s proposed reform would add two paragraphs to the Mexican constitution’s Article 40, stating among other things, that Mexico will not consent to intervention by foreign entities in Mexican territory, not even for the purpose of investigating or prosecuting crimes. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Sheinbaum: Designation of cartels as terrorists not an ‘opportunity’ for US to ‘invade our sovereignty’
The terrorist designations of the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and other Mexican criminal organizations “can’t be an opportunity for the United States to invade our sovereignty,” she said.
“They can name cartels as they choose, but with Mexico it’s collaboration and coordination, never subordination, no interference or invasion,” Sheinbaum said.
In that context, the president announced she was submitting a constitutional reform proposal to Congress.
Sheinbaum read out a proposed addition to Article 40 of the Mexican constitution:
Sheinbaum’s constitutional reform proposal seems to be preparing for the possibility of U.S. President Donald Trump justifying unauthorized incursions onto Mexican soil in the name of hunting down cartels. (Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0)
“The people of Mexico, under no circumstance, will accept interventions, interference or any other act from abroad that is harmful to the integrity, independence and sovereignty of the nation, such as coups, interference in elections or violation of Mexican territory whether it’s by land, water, sea or air space.”
“Nor will they allow intervention in investigations or any pursuit [of a suspect] without the authorization and express collaboration of the Mexican state within the framework of applicable laws.”
Sheinbaum also read out a proposed addition to Article 19 of the Mexican constitution.
“The most severe possible punishment as well as the precautionary measure of preventive prison will be imposed on any national or foreigner involved in the manufacture, distribution, transfer, transport or illicit admission to national territory of weapons, and on any foreigner who carries out activities on the margin of the law associated with the second and third paragraphs of article 40 of this constitution.”
Therefore, any foreign agents — from the CIA or DEA, for example — who enter Mexico without the authorization of the Mexican government would be subject to arrest, imprisonment before trial and harsh penalties if convicted.
“These are the two modifications to the Constitution that we’re sending [to Congress],” Sheinbaum said.
“What does this mean? We collaborate, we coordinate, we work together [with the United States], but there is no interference, no violation of sovereignty,” she said, adding that “this is what we want to be made clear” in light of the United States government’s designation of six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
Sheinbaum also made it clear that Mexico, like the United States, is determined to combat drug trafficking, organized crime groups and violence.
In addressing Mexico’s new national anti-drug campaign, Sheinbaum made sure to point out — as she’s done before — that Mexico doesn’t have a fentanyl crisis the way the United States does. The new campaign, she said, is to try and prevent a crisis here.
Sheinbaum responds to Trump’s decision to launch anti-drug campaign
“I obviously thank him for the mention,” she said.
“I think that it is something important,” Sheinbaum continued, referring to the U.S. anti-drug campaign.
“We have always said that the trafficking of drugs to the United States has to do with drug use in the United States, that it’s not just an issue for Mexico. … There wouldn’t be distribution of drugs to the United States if there wasn’t drug use in the United States,” she said.
The decision to launch an anti-drug campaign is “recognition from the United States president of what we call attention to the causes,” Sheinbaum said.
“… It’s recognition that they have to attend to the issue of drug use there,” she said.
“And I think that’s very important. … So I think this announcement that President Trump made yesterday is very important,” Sheinbaum said.
Government seeks agreement with gas stations to limit profits
Mexicans have been facing higher prices at the pump since last year. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)
A reporter asked the president whether the government was prepared to establish a price cap for gasoline — possibly 24 pesos per liter — as part of efforts to keep inflation under control.
“This issue with the price of gasoline — what is not regulated, let’s say, is the profits of a private company,” Sheinbaum said.
“The Pemex gas stations are in fact Pemex franchises, they’ve been operated privately for a long time, and Pemex also sells [fuel] to non-Pemex gas stations, and apart from that, there is imported gasoline,” she said.
“So first we want a voluntary agreement, in which they themselves, the gas station owners, moderate the amount of pesos they earn for each liter they sell. So that is what we are working on,” she said.
“Ideally what we want is this voluntary agreement. If the voluntary agreement doesn’t happen, then we could think about other ways, but I believe — because of the meetings we’ve already had — that it is possible to reach one,” Sheinbaum said.
“… We still have next week to seal [the deal] and everything is going well, so I expect that we’ll be able to sign it very soon,” she said.
Mexican and US forces to collaborate more closely on cross-border security issues
Sheinbaum said that Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo and General Gregory M. Guillot, Commander of the U.S. Northern Command, had a “very good, very respectful conversation.”
A member of the Mexican military inspects cars approaching the Mexican side of the Mexican-U.S. border in Ciuadad Juáarez earlier this month. (Carlos Sánchez Colunga/Cuartoscuro)
The U.S. Northern Command said in a statement on Wednesday that the two men “met recently to discuss cooperation to increase security along the Mexico and U.S. border.”
“The conversation resulted in the formulation of a Joint Statement of Understanding regarding cooperative activities along the border, to include coordinated patrols on their respective sides of the border, increased information sharing, and methods for immediate communications,” the statement said.
“The conversation and agreements emphasize that each country will respect the sovereignty of the other,” it added.
Sheinbaum said that U.S. security forces could share information with Mexican forces about arms trafficking, for example, “or vice versa in the face of other conditions,” such as the northward flows of drugs or migrants.
“Above all, communication and coordination in these cases was spoken about” during the meeting between Trevilla and Guillot, she said.
U.S. tourist Robert Hayes spotted the fish struggling to swim in the surf on Playa El Quemado, a beach in the town of Puerto Escondido, Baja Calfornia Sur. (Screen capture/Robert Hayes)
A deep-sea creature nicknamed the “doomsday fish” — rarely seen by humans because it typically dwells at depths of up to 1,000 meters — was spotted earlier this month on a Mexican beach and videotaped by American tourists.
Some species of oarfish can grow to enormous lengths, such as this 7-meter-long giant oarfish that washed up on shore near San Diego, California, in 1996. However, the one sighted near Loreto appears to have been a juvenile. (Wm. Leo Smith/Wikimedia Commons)
Having captivated beachgoers at the time and delighted marine enthusiasts ever since, the sighting occurred on Feb. 9 at Playa El Quemado, near the town of Puerto Escondido in Baja California Sur. The area is on the Gulf of California about 28 kilometers south of Loreto.
According to published reports, Robert Hayes, a 64-year-old tourist from Boise, Idaho, was walking along the beach with his wife when they noticed an unusual creature approaching the shore. Initially mistaken for a small alligator or shark, the ribbon-like fish was identified as an oarfish by a Canadian fisherman at the scene.
Known for its elongated, eel-like body and distinctive reddish dorsal fins, the oarfish appeared disoriented as it swam in shallow waters in the surf. Despite attempts to guide it back to deeper waters, the fish repeatedly returned to the beach.
At only a few feet long, this particular oarfish was small, perhaps a juvenile or a smaller species of oarfish. Although no size was reported, Hayes said the fisherman told him that it was among the smallest oarfish he had ever seen.
Some oarfish, notably a species known as the giant oarfish, can reach 8 to 11 meters (26-36 feet) in length, making them the world’s largest bony fish. Typically, they live at depths of 200 to 1,000 meters (660-3,280 feet) and are characterized by a silvery skin that lacks scales and is coated with guanine, giving it a unique appearance.
The mysterious creatures are known for their vertical swimming pattern, which, combined with their reflective coloration, allows them to camouflage effectively in the water column.
SEE IT! The rarely seen deep-sea known as an ‘oarfish’ has washed ashore in Mexico!
Legend has it that the creature, known as a ‘doomsday fish,’ only surfaces from the depths of the ocean when something catastrophic is going to happen. 👀 pic.twitter.com/U5j68io7jx
The video that made a Mexican fish an internet celebrity.
In Japanese folklore, oarfish sightings are considered omens of impending earthquakes or other natural disasters, earning them the “doomsday fish” moniker. However, a 2019 study by Japanese researchers debunked any significant link between oarfish appearances and seismic activity.
Although rare, human brushes with oarfish aren’t unprecedented. Last spring, a group of sport fishermen caught a 3-meter-long, 64-kilogram (141 pounds) oarfish off the coast of Cabo San Lucas.
Ted Pietsch, a professor emeritus at the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, said that an oarfish coming to the shore is as unexplainable as it is rare.
“Nobody knows why they do this,” said Pietsch, whose work focuses on deep-sea fishes, particularly anglerfish. “It’s the same as the mystery of why whales beach themselves.”
He and other scientists emphasize that isolated sightings of oarfish do not necessarily indicate broader oceanic distress or species population issues.
This month’s sighting has drawn attention to Playa El Quemado, a pristine beach known for its ecotourism potential. The area offers activities such as night diving, camping and wildlife photography, and nearby there are marine animals such as hammerhead sharks and blue whales.
Mexican armed forces captured José Ángel "El Güerito" Canobbio (right) on Thursday, before bringing and Kevin Alonso Gil Acosta, known as “El 200,” into custody. (Sedena)
Just hours after the United States added the Sinaloa Cartel to its list of foreign terrorist organizations, Mexican authorities arrested two key leaders of the crime gang that has been fighting a bloody factional war since September.
José Ángel Canobbio, aka “El Güerito,” and Kevin Alonso Gil Acosta, known as “El 200,” were arrested in the Sinaloa state capital of Culiacán after extensive operations carried out by federal authorities.
Kevin Alonso Gil Acosta, known as “el 200,” was chief of security for the leader of the Chapitos faction. (Sedena)
Both men have been described as high-ranking members of the cartel and key associates of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, the leader of the “Los Chapitos” faction.
Gil Acosta was described by federal authorities as one of the top security chiefs for Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, the alleged leader of the Chapitos and son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. His apprehension was announced by the Mexican government on Thursday.
His responsibilities reportedly included the execution of security measures within the faction, as well as high-profile tasks directed by Guzmán himself. Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said in a social media post that “El 200” also coordinated the purchase of weapons and ammunition for “Los Chapitos.”
“He is linked to homicides, extortions and attacks on the authorities, as well as generating violence in the state,” García Harfuch added.
En un operativo conjunto el Ejército Mexicano, Guardia Nacional, Fuerza Aérea @SEDENAmx , fue detenido en Culiacán, Sinaloa Kevin Alonso “N” (a) “200”. El “200” era responsable de la seguridad del líder de esta organización criminal y coordinaba la compra de armas y municiones… pic.twitter.com/xv6JEGIltK
Canobbio has been identified as the cartel’s financial operator with close connections to significant drug trafficking operations. Allegations link Canobbio to several violent incidents — including assaults on military installations — and tie him to other organized crime activities across the region.
Both suspects were found with military-grade weapons and tactical gear at the time of their arrest, according to government press releases.
Internecine warfare passes five-month mark
Infighting within the Sinaloa Cartel broke out on Sept. 9 after rival drug lords Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Iván’s half-brother Joaquín Guzmán López were apprehended in the United States after flying there in a small plane on July 25.
The Associated Press described the violence, and the tactics, as unprecedented, even for residents of Culiacán who have “long been accustomed to a day or two of violence once in a while.”
The apprehension of these alleged cartel leaders demonstrates the intensified law enforcement efforts against drug trafficking being conducted since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office on Oct. 1.
Zambada (left) alleged that rival faction leader Joaquín Guzmán López (right), kidnapped and turned him into United States law enforcement agents. (Archive)
The new strategy appears to be targeting the command structure of the “Los Chapitos” faction of the cartel. The dual apprehension was effected using tactics involving both ground troops and aerial support. Authorities utilized helicopters and armored vehicles, while targeting areas known for gang activity.
In anticipation of a cartel response and due to the running gun battles that took place the past few days, local authorities announced that public schools and universities in the Culiacán area would be holding virtual classes for the time being.
Eight civilians were wounded by stray bullets in the past few days, according to the newspaper El Universal.
These latest arrests come shortly after two other principal figures in the Sinaloa Cartel were arrested.
Humberto Rivera, a leader of cartel operations in the Cd. Juárez area, was arrested last week in the northern state of Chihuahua. The 51-year-old Rivera — a priority target of the FBI — was flown on Sunday to Mexico City where he now awaits extradition proceedings, according to the El Paso Times newspaper.
On Monday, officials in the Dominican Republic, with support from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Marshals, arrested Efraín Sánchez Cabanillas, alias “Bala.” Sánchez is wanted in the U.S. for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamines.
The Sinaloa Cartel also suffered further disruptions last week. García Harfuch reported on Feb. 14 that naval intelligence activities helped federal authorities locate and neutralize several clandestine labs used to manufacture synthetic drugs in Sinaloa.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos visited President Sheinbaum's dailly press conference Thursday to share the news of the Netflix investment in Mexico. (Daniel Augusto/Cuartoscuro)
Streaming platform Netflix announced Thursday plans to invest US $1 billion in Mexico over the next four years, to produce films and TV series.
Speaking at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s daily morning press conference in Mexico City, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said he looked forward to entering more partnerships with producers in the country.
Netflix’s first original production outside of the U.S. was of the Mexican hit TV show, “Club de Cuervos.” (Wikimedia Commons)
“Our journey in Mexico has taken us from north to south, from sunsets on the Baja California peninsula to sunrises on the Caribbean coast. We have produced in more than 50 locations in 25 states. With this renewed commitment, we hope to further deepen our partnership,” Sarandos said.
He also announced a collaboration with Mexico City’s iconic Estudios Churubusco to improve its facilities. The goal, Sarandos said, is to strengthen the national film industry.
“This country holds a very special place in Netflix’s history,” Sarandos said, referring to the TV show Club de Cuervos, which aired ten years ago. It was the company’s first-ever original production outside of the United States.
“[Club de Cuervos] paved the way for our programming strategy, which is all about local production,” he said.
Sarandos also recalled Roma, Netflix’s first original film ever to win an Academy Award in the foreign picture category. Alfonso Cuarón’s movie was also the first Mexican film to win an Oscar for Best Foreign Picture. He also recalled Pinocchio, by Guillermo del Toro, which gave Netflix – and Mexico – its first ever Oscar for an animated film.
These are only a few examples of Mexican productions. Others include La Casa de Las Flores, Los Dos Hemisferios de Lucca, Luis Miguel La Serie, or the upcoming documentary about the life of Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, among others.
As part of its investment in Mexico, Netflix has also committed to a collaboration to improve one of Mexico’s oldest film and television studios, Estudios Churubusco, where many of Mexico’s most famous movies — and some Hollywood classics — have been filmed. (Estudios Churubusco)
“In collaboration with the Mexican government and the industry, we will continue to fund programs that help diverse and creative talents behind the camera develop in the world of entertainment,” Sarandos said.
The recent production of the feature film Pedro Páramo (based on the Mexican book by the same name) contributed more than 375 million pesos (US $18 million) to Mexico’s GDP and generated thousands of jobs in sectors such as textile manufacturing, hospitality and transportation.
During her speech, Sheinbaum said that Netflix’s decision to invest in Mexico not only responds to tax incentives or competitive production costs but also to the cultural and creative wealth of the country that has allowed the platform to expand through the production of original content.
Netflix established its Latin American headquarters in Mexico City in 2020, during Sheinbaum’s term as the capital’s mayor. In the last five years, Sarandos said its workforce has grown tenfold.
Trump announced his agreement with Sheinbaum for a temporary tariff reprieve after their Thursday phone call. (Presidencia, Gage Skidmore)
United States President Donald Trump thanked Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Wednesday for giving him the idea to launch an anti-drugs campaign, on which he pledged to spend “hundreds of millions of dollars.”
“I said … why is that? … She said, ‘Well, we have very strong family values,'” he said.
“I said ‘But we do too. We do too.’ … I said, ‘Well, you’re not really saying anything there because we have great families too. We have great family values,'” Trump said.
He noted that Sheinbaum — who he referred to as a “very wonderful woman” — also told him that Mexico spends a lot of money on anti-drug advertising.
“And I said ‘unbelievable.’ That was such a great conversation because we’re going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars advertising how bad drugs are so that kids don’t use them — [we’re going to say] that they chew up your brain, they destroy your teeth, your skin, your everything. And I thanked her for that,” Trump said.
He subsequently said that the U.S. government would launch an anti-drugs campaign “with $100 million and then another $100 million initially.”
“… I saw some of the ads and they are really violent. I said you have to make them strong,” Trump said.
“Your skin practically comes off after a period of time. You lose your hearing. You lose your teeth. … It is terrible, and we show this happening to people,” he said.
“… She really gave me something,” Trump said, referring to the idea Sheinbaum gave him during a call.
Trump expressed admiration for the strong imagery used in Mexico’s new anti-fentanyl ads. (Secretaría de Salud)
“… I was going to call her and tell her that she did, but now I don’t have to call her because she’s going to be seeing this right now. So to the president of Mexico, thank you very much. I appreciate it. … We’re going to do a great advertising campaign saying how bad it is, how drugs are so bad for you,” he said.
Trump didn’t say exactly when he spoke to Sheinbaum about Mexico’s anti-drug advertising campaign.
Sheinbaum said on social media in late November that she had spoken to Trump about “the campaign we’re carrying out in the country to prevent the use of fentanyl.”
The U.S. president has spoken frequently of his commitment to stopping the entry of fentanyl to the United States, and pledged to impose 25% tariffs on all Mexican exports to the U.S. as he seeks to pressure Mexico to do more to stem the northward flow of the powerful opioid. The proposed tariffs are currently paused but could take effect next month.
The campaign includes billboards, advertising on television, radio and social media, drug education in schools and other measures. The billboards are especially prevalent in Mexico City.
“Fentanyl kills you. They put it in other drugs to get you hooked. A united family gives you life,” says one ad posted to social media by the Health Ministry.
“[Fentanyl] destroys your muscles and body, causes paranoia and suicidal thoughts, provokes respiratory arrest and heart attacks, kills your neurons and brain. Stay away from drugs, choose to be happy,” says one video advertisement.
While fentanyl is used in Mexico and there have been deaths linked to the powerful synthetic opioid here, “there is not a crisis like there is in the United States,” she said.
“… We don’t want [the overdose crisis] to reach our country, and that’s why we’re starting this campaign against fentanyl,” Sheinbaum said.
While there are cases of fentanyl abuse in Mexico, available data doesn’t indicate an opioid crisis like in the U.S. (CBP Troy Miller/X)
The current and former anti-drugs campaigns have faced criticism for a range of reasons, including because of the focus on fentanyl, which — as Sheinbaum has pointed out — is not widely used in Mexico, and because they have allegedly aroused interest in the synthetic opioid among users of other drugs.
Health Minister David Kershenobich said last month that was “probably” the case, although he said that fentanyl “is the most significant” drug used in Mexico “in the sense of mortality and the harm it causes.”
Mexico's central bank said the revised forecast takes into account an economic slowdown now known to have taken place in Q4 of 2024. (Margarito Pérez Retana/Cuartoscuro)
Mexico’s central bank lowered its estimate for GDP growth in 2025 to 0.6% Wednesday, while also warning of the risk of economic contraction.
The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) said its latest forecast — issued as part of its quarterly report — takes into account the negative fourth-quarter performance slowdown, the newspaper El Economista reported, and brings the central bank’s forecast in line with projections issued by financial services company Moody’s Ratings in January.
Banxico head Victoria Rodríguez. (Presidencia)
In announcing the new estimate, Banxico Governor Victoria Rodríguez cautioned Wednesday that the new figure does not yet include the potential impact of any measures the U.S. may take with regard to trade and tariffs.
“The economy faces various challenges, including weakness due to internal considerations and uncertainty due to U.S. policies that may change the configuration of value chains,” she said.
Among the internal weaknesses cited by Rodríguez were low consumer consumption and slowing private investment. These factors, as well as budget restraints and inflation concerns, are expected to prevail during the first half of 2025.
A 0.6% growth rate would be considerably lower than the 2.3% growth rate projected by the Finance Ministry in its 2025 budget and lower than the 1.5% growth recorded in 2024. It would also be Mexico’s poorest economic performance since 2020, according to the newspaper El Financiero.
In its quarterly report, Banxico said it expects Mexico’s economy to fluctuate between –0.2% and 1.4%, a lower range than projected in November when the Board of Governors predicted a performance range from 0.3% and 2.0%.
One factor in Banxico’s reduced growth forecast is federal budget restrictions, which will limit the amount that public spending will contribute to Mexico’s 2025 GDP compared to recent years. (Isaac Esquivel/Cuartoscuro)
Rodríguez said the poor fourth-quarter performance induced a mathematical effect toward a lower base for growth, “reducing the GDP growth forecast.” Additionally, federal budget restrictions will limit the contributions that public spending has contributed toward productive activities in the recent past.
Banxico also cited tariff threats issued by U.S. President Donald Trump, saying this only adds to the uncertainty to Mexico’s economic panorama this year. However, the latest growth forecast does not include estimates related to such future trade-related effects.
“It would be premature to come to any conclusions with regard to such measures,” Rodríguez said.
Pamela Díaz, an economist in Mexico with the multinational bank BNP Paribas, said the uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policy will likely cause private investment to stagnate throughout 2025, with resolution unlikely until next year.
Banxico also mentioned risks for Mexico related to volatility in national and international financial markets while also warning about the possibility of an underperforming U.S. economy.
