Friday, August 29, 2025

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Guatemala files formal protest after Chiapas police incite gun battle across border

By
MND Staff
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Chiapas police
Sunday’s incident at the Guatemala border occurred after Chiapas state police were ambushed by armed civilians during an operation that had been ordered by Governor Eduardo Ramírez. (Damián Sanchez/Cuartoscuro)

Mexico’s war on drug trafficking crossed into Guatemala on Sunday, and now the Central American nation’s Foreign Relations Ministry is demanding answers about the illegal incident.

A Chiapas state police operation against suspected drug traffickers resulted in a car chase leading to Mexico’s southern border on Sunday afternoon. The police killed four gunmen, then pursued other suspects into Guatemalan territory, engaging them in a shoot-out in a Guatemalan border town.

At least three Chiapas police vehicles crossed into Guatemala in a dramatic scene that saw Guatemalan military personnel and National Civil Police vehicles arrive on site as the gun battle raged.

On Tuesday, Guatemala sent a diplomatic note to Mexico’s Foreign Relations Ministry (SRE), filing a formal protest and demanding that Mexico investigate. The SRE responded shortly thereafter with a formal apology.

In the letter of protest, Guatemala expressed “grave concern” for the lack of “reciprocal respect” at its shared border, deplored the “violations of international rights” and decried the failure to coordinate security actions with Guatemala authorities.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized the actions of the Chiapas state police on Monday and, during her Tuesday morning press conference (before the diplomatic note had been delivered), called on the Chiapas officials to be punished.

“This should not happen,” Sheinbaum said Tuesday. “We have spoken to (the Chiapas governor), telling him that Mexican security forces should not enter Guatemala in such a reckless manner.”

She said Foreign Relations Minister Juan Ramón de la Fuente had been in touch with the Guatemalan government to reiterate Mexico’s commitment to coordinating security actions.

Sunday’s incident at the Guatemala border occurred after Chiapas state police were ambushed by armed civilians during an operation that had been ordered by Governor Eduardo Ramírez in response to the murder of five state police on June 2.

The state’s newly created Pakal Rapid Reaction Force was sent to the municipality of Frontera Comalapa, a region where four drug cartels have long battled to exercise control of valuable smuggling routes for migrants, guns and drugs. 

According to the Chiapas Attorney General’s Office (FGE), the Pakales and other state security forces carried out an operation in the town of Sabanalito, just a few kilometers from the Guatemalan border. The Pakales were attacked, leading to the car chase that ended in a gun battle in the village of La Mesilla, Guatemala.

At least three Pakal vehicles crossed over the border as Guatemala’s Army and its National Civil Police Force joined the fray in a confusing scene. 

Citing a video circulating on social media, the newspaper El Universal reported that one Guatemalan Army vehicle appeared to fire shots at the Pakales. Guatemalan authorities claim their officials did not intervene, according to the news site Animal Político.

In a video described by ABC News, armed men in ballistic vests and carrying rifles can be seen shouting at the open driver-side door of a Chiapas state police armored vehicle, with the border crossing visible in the background.

As gunfire sprayed Chiapas police trucks and civilian vehicles, a Guatemalan military truck with a soldier in the turret sits in the middle of the melee.

At least four suspects were killed in the shootout on the Chiapas side of the border, but several others escaped into Guatemala. The FGE said state authorities confiscated four rifles, a grenade launcher, two pistols, two bulletproof vests, 17 magazines and four armoured vehicles. 

Further roiling the situation, on Monday, Chiapas Governor Eduardo Ramírez publicly accused Guatemalan security forces of colluding with drug gangs. Sheinbaum criticized Ramírez for this statement, saying on Tuesday, “We are not in agreement with this statement and his police should be sanctioned.”

Ramírez defended the Pakales, who, according to the newspaper El País, have faced accusations of collusion with organized crime gangs, as well as wanton violations of human rights. Just last month, the governor fired a Pakales commander who was accused by a subordinate of cooperating with crime gangs.

With reports from Infobae, ABC News, El País, El Universal and Animal Político

Nearly 1,000 neighbors unite to save a 115-year-old tree in Mexico City

By
MND Staff
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Laureano
Approximately 900 residents from across the Benito Juárez borough have signed an injunction demanding that the developer halt construction until the tree is legally protected. (Victoria Valtierra/Cuartoscuro)

Hundreds of residents of Mexico City’s Benito Juárez borough gathered on Monday to fight an alleged attempt by a real estate developer to cut down a 115-year-old laurel tree known as “Laureano.” 

The real estate company Núcleo Urbano is developing a four-story apartment building at 48 Miguel Laurent Street in the Tlacoquemecatl neighborhood, where Laureano has been growing for over a century. 

Drawings and signage in support of "Laureano" surround the construction area in the neighborhood of Tlacoquemecatl, Mexico City.
Drawings and signage in support of “Laureano” surround the construction area in the neighborhood of Tlacoquemecatl, Mexico City. (@luismaleon/X)

Approximately 900 residents from across the municipality have signed an injunction demanding that the developer halt construction. 

Laureano is at least 30 meters tall, and its branches extend approximately 10 to 12 meters in length. 

On Monday at 9 a.m., residents gathered at 48 Miguel Laurent Street to draw attention to the issue and prevent the developer from harming Laureano, as well as a red oak and palm tree at the property. 

There was reportedly a digger and several construction workers on site. According to people present at the protest, workers did not provide permits when asked. 

“What we are seeking is a temporary suspension of the construction so the situation can be assessed since those who acquired the property did not include the tree in their construction model,” said protest leader Patricia Solano. 

Residents want project manager Salomón Levy to confirm the tree’s roots aren’t being harmed by construction and to sign a written pledge protecting the laurel from destruction.

Mexico City’s Environment Ministry stated that the felling of the laurel tree, or any tree located outside the property at 48 Miguel Laurent Street, has not been authorized. 

“The Benito Juárez mayor’s office reiterates, once again, that it has not granted a single permit to remove a single leaf from the Indian Laurel tree,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.

Borough officials have reportedly visited the site to post signs warning that the felling of any tree is not permitted.

The Environment Ministry said a meeting will be held at its offices with residents on Tuesday at 6 p.m. to assess the case. It has not been confirmed whether representatives of the real estate developer will attend. 

“We have not had contact with the owners or representatives of the real estate agency. Perhaps they will attend the meeting tomorrow, but we do not want ecocide to occur because of the millions that the apartments they are planning here will cost,” said Solano.

With reports from Enfoque Noticias, La Prensa OEM, Libre en el Sur and Proceso

Michelin to close Querétaro plant by year’s end

By
MND Staff
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A Michelin sign on a building
A Michelin spokesperson gave a succinct explanation for the closure, which will affect 480 employees: "The Querétaro plant will be closed because it has become obsolete." (Shutterstock)

French multinational tire manufacturer Michelin announced it will close a plant in the state of Querétaro by the end of the year, but will not be leaving Mexico.

The tire-maker described its move as “a last resort,” explaining that changes in the passenger car and light truck tire market forced the decision on the company.

Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard stands at a podium
Michelin spokespersons and Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard both stressed that the closure of the Querétaro plant is by no means a prelude to the tire company abandoning Mexico. (Andrea Murcia/Cuartoscuro)

The plant, which opened in 2002, is configured to produce smaller tires. According to the company, the market has evolved toward larger rims and tires. 

“The Querétaro plant will be closed because it has become obsolete,” a representative for the company told Reuters. 

The plant closure will affect 480 employees. 

Some of the Querétaro production will be moved to León in the neighboring state of Guanajuato. The León factory — operational since 2016 — is one of the company’s most modern plants globally, Reuters reported.

The Querétaro state government said the tire-maker will maintain a presence in the state. In addition to Michelin’s corporate operations in Querétaro city, the tire company will support other activities in the state.

Querétaro’s Sustainable Development Minister Marco del Prete said in a social media post that Michelin will continue to operate its Shared Services Center in the state.

Car parked by a Michelin buidling
Michelin said it will pay full severance to all 480 employees impacted by the Querétaro plant’s closure and will provide support for job training. (Shutterstock)

Michelin México CEO Matthieu Aubron told Del Prete that the company will pay full severance to all 480 employees and will help them through the transition process, including providing support for job-training programs.

Michelin met with its Querétaro customers, the employees and community leaders to discuss arrangements, the newspaper El Financiero reported.

Del Prete said the state government will also offer services to the laid-off workers via the Labor Ministry and the state’s Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard was quick to point out that the plant closure was not a first step toward Michelin’s departure from Mexico, asserting that Michelin maintains its commitment to Mexico.

“Michelin informed the Economy Ministry that it has decided to merge its Querétaro plant with its plant in León, Guanajuato,” Ebrard said in a social media post. “The merger is being implemented because the latter produces tires best suited to the current Mexican market.”

The Querétaro factory was producing about 500,000 BF Goodrich tires per year for passenger cars and light pick-up trucks. The plant also features a workshop to retread or remold old truck tires.

With reports from El Economista, Infobae, Reuters and El Financiero

Mexico’s auto exports down 6% this year

By
MND Staff
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Mexico auto exports this year
After increasing 12.1% in the first five months of 2024, Mexico's auto exports this year have declined by 6.3%. (Shutterstock)

The United States’ new tariff on foreign cars is having an impact on the Mexican automotive industry, official data indicates.

The national statistics agency INEGI reported on Monday that Mexico’s exports of light vehicles declined 2.9% in annual terms in May, the month after the Trump administration imposed a tariff on all foreign cars. Domestic production of cars fell 2% last month, INEGI said.

Mexico exported 1.33 million light vehicles between January and May, the worst annual decline for exports in a five-month period since 2020.

United States content in vehicles made in Mexico is exempt from the 25% tariff the U.S. government imposed on foreign cars in early April, reducing the duty on Mexican cars to an average of 15%, according to Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

Nevertheless, the duty is detrimental to a Mexican automotive industry that had grown accustomed to tariff-free trade in North America thanks to the USMCA and NAFTA. Around 80% of the vehicles Mexico exports go to the United States.

INEGI reported that Mexico exported a total of 301,112 light vehicles last month, while 358,209 vehicles were assembled in the country.

The 2.9% decline in exports and 2% drop in production came after even larger decreases in April. INEGI reported last month that Mexico’s auto exports fell 10.9% annually in April, while production declined 9.1%.

Compared to April, auto exports and production increased in May.

The Mexican Automotive Industry Association noted that last month was in fact the second best May on record for auto production after May of 2024, and the third best May on record for exports.

Auto production and exports fell in the first 5 months of 2025 

INEGI also reported that Mexico’s light vehicle exports declined 6.3% annually between January and May to 1.33 million units between January and May. It was the worst annual decline for exports in a five-month period since 2020, when the COVID pandemic and associated restrictions were roiling economies around the world.

In comparison, exports increased 12.1% in the first five months of 2024.

Production of light vehicles in Mexico also declined in the first five months of the year, although the year-over-year drop in output was only 0.5%. The total production of 1.64 million units represented the first annual decline since the first five months of 2020.

Julio Galván, head of economic studies at the National Auto Parts Industry trade association, said that weak demand for new cars in the United States is a contributing factor to the declines in auto exports and production so far this year.

Not all automakers are exporting fewer cars from Mexico

INEGI’s data shows that Volkswagen, Mazda, Mercedes Benz, Stellantis, BMW, Nissan, Audi and General Motors all exported fewer cars from Mexico in the first five months of 2025 than in the same period of last year. Among those automakers, Volkswagen saw the biggest decline in export volumes, shipping 37.6% fewer cars out of Mexico compared to the January-May period of 2024.

Meanwhile, Toyota increased its exports from Mexico by 72% in the period and KIA sent 14% more vehicles out of the country. Ford and Honda also increased their exports in the first five months of the year.

Kia Mexico to expand Nuevo León operations

Volkswagen and Stellantis recorded the largest declines in production in Mexico between January and May, with each automaker seeing their output fall by over 20%. In contrast, Toyota’s production increased 63.4% annually in the first five months of the year, INEGI reported.

Sales of new cars in Mexico increased between January and May

INEGI also reported that 593,282 new light vehicles were sold in Mexico in the first five months of the year, an increase of 0.95% compared to the same period of 2024. The figure includes vehicles made in Mexico and imported.

The top selling brands in Mexico between January and May were:

  • Nissan: 107,130 units or 18% of the market.
  • General Motors: 79,865 units or 13.5% of the market.
  • Volkswagen: 54,122 units or 9.1% of the market.
  • Toyota: 50,098 units or 8.4% of the market.
  • KIA: 43,532 units or 7.3% of the market.

Of those five automakers, General Motors was the only one to record a year-over-year decline in sales in Mexico.

Among the other automakers who saw their sales in Mexico increase in the first five months of the year were Hyundai, BMW, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Great Wall Motor and JAC.

With reports from El Economista and El Financiero

Mexico City’s Michelin-starred taquería El Califa de León sets its sights on NYC

By
MND Staff
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Plates of food on a table
For El Califa de León, recognition from the Michelin Guide has brought lines of customers, media attention and inevitably, plans to expand. (El Califa de León/Facebook)

El Califa de León, Mexico City’s Michelin-starred taquería, has announced plans to expand internationally.

In 2024, the humble eatery made history by becoming the first taquería in the world to receive a Michelin Guide star. Now, its owner, Mario Hernández, wants to take the taquería to the Big Apple. 

tacos on a plate
If tacos are essentially tortillas, meat, lime and salt, what earned El Califa de León its Michelin star? According to owner Mario Hernández, it’s the cut: “Ninety-nine percent of people don’t know how to cut [a steak].” (El Califa de León/Facebook)
“We never expected to receive that trophy, that award,” Hernández told Bistrononomie, the food supplement of the newspaper El Economista. “It’s been truly great. It has materially changed the rhythm of our lives, both for me and my wife, for our family, for my employees, for my suppliers. This has been a blessing.”

The recognition brought major media attention, endless lines of diners and unprecedented international exposure for the tiny, no-frills taquería in the modest San Rafael neighborhood. It even led to temporary pop-ups in the United States, giving New Yorkers a taste of what’s coming. 

Hernández admits that after receiving the coveted star, he immediately began to think about obtaining the second one, and expanding abroad.  

“Since I discovered we got the award, my goal was clear: to achieve a second star,” he said. “I’m a man of challenges. And now our next step is to expand, not here in Mexico City, but in the United States, specifically in Manhattan.”

For Hernández, conquering one of the world’s gastronomic capitals represents a logistical and financial challenge. Yet, he believes that succeeding there would give him “a golden key to conquering any place in the world.”

Which Mexico City taquería just won a Michelin star?

In a separate interview for the newspaper El País, Hernández revealed that his expansion plans and dreams go beyond the United States. 

“And why not? Madrid, London, Paris. Dreams do come true,” he said.

At the same time, he’s made it clear he will not sacrifice quality for his international plans.

“Quality, simplicity, and respect for the taco are non-negotiable,” he said. “We’re not going to create a luxury restaurant; we’re going to showcase what we are.”

In an interview with El País, Hernández expressed his initial confusion regarding the Michelin Guide’s recognition of their food, given that the recipe is simple: steak, lime and salt. Now he thinks the secret of El Califa’s success lies in the technique used to cut the meat. 

“Ninety-nine percent of people don’t know how to cut [a steak],” he said. “My dad worked with meat for sixty-something years and found the perfect cut.”

In October last year, the taquería partnered with Tacombi, a fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain, to serve the famous tacos for a month. Following the success of this pop-up collaboration, the two restaurants replicated the format in Bethesda and Arlington, Virginia, in December. 

With reports from El País and El Economista

Osita, Cachimba and Pintorín: The pack of stargazing dogs who guard Chichén Itzá

By
MND Staff
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Osita, one of three dogs who keep watch of the archaeological site at Chichén Itzá in Yucatán. (Instagram/Wikimedia Commons)

Among the ancient stones of Chichén Itzá, the world-famous archaeological site in the state of Yucatán, is a unique group of guardians prowling the ruins — not human, but canine.

At the center of this story is Osita (little bear), a loyal dog whose image gazing at the moon atop the Temple of Kukulcán has captivated thousands online and in person.

In a photograph taken by night watchman José Keb, Osita “was captured enjoying the night sky, as if she were also taking care of the stars,” according to DiloConPerritos on the social media site X.

The post also noted that additional online pictures and videos of Osita — including this one on Facebook titled “Osita, la guardiana canina de Chichén Itzá” — have “touched the hearts of many.”

Indeed, Osita’s contemplative moments, captured mostly by Keb, have resonated deeply with animal lovers and tourists alike, who see in her a blend of tenderness and steadfastness.

“The true guardians of Chichén Itzá don’t just walk on ancient stones; they also have four legs and a big heart,” wrote another social media user, echoing the sentiments of many who have encountered Osita and her companions, Cachimba and Pintorín.

The dogs freely roam the site, patrolling its corridors, greeting visitors with wagging tails and climbing the majestic Temple of Kukulcán, also known as the “El Castillo” pyramid — a unique privilege no longer granted to human visitors (although every once in a while some scofflaw attempts it).

The dogs have been adopted by Keb, who provides them with food, water and companionship. In return, they offer him company and protection during long, solitary nights.

Osita is seen contemplating the night sky over Chichén Itzá in a recent photograph taken by night watchman José Keb.
Osita is seen contemplating the night sky over Chichén Itzá in a recent photograph taken by night watchman José Keb. (@DiloConPerritos/X)

The dogs have also become ambassadors for the harmonious relationship between Chichén Itzá’s cultural heritage and its resident wildlife. They are often seen “appreciating the landscape,” as someone posted on X.

Osita, Cachimba and Pintorín are known as the “sacred dogs of Kukulcán” among site workers and custodians.

When they do climb the steps of the iconic Temple of Kukulcán, they often rest in the shade of its ancient walls or sometimes watch the sunrise from its heights.

“A puppy who has conquered the heart of social media networks,” is how Osita was described in a recent post on Instagram. “She has been seen sunbathing or admiring the stars at the highest point of Kukulcán.”

Osita’s story “reminds us that the guardians of history can walk on four legs and have a pure and sincere heart,” the post concluded.

With reports from Excélsior, W Radio, El Universal and MSN

Tatiana Clouthier on ICE raids, fear and the Mexican workforce

By
MND Staff
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Tatiana Clouthier
Clouthier recently met with members of the Mexican community in Redwood City, located between San Francisco and San Jose in California. (Graciela López/Cuartoscuro)

Prudencia, exigencia y no violencia.

Those are the words of advice of Tatiana Clouthier to Mexicans in the United States who are protesting or thinking about protesting against immigration raids, such as those recently carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles.

Clouthier, economy minister for almost two years in the government of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is now the head of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (Instituto de Mexicanas y Mexicanos en el Exterior), a federal agency dedicated to supporting Mexicans who live outside Mexico, chiefly the millions of paisanos (compatriots) who live in the United States.

A significant number of those U.S.-based Mexicans are undocumented, making them particularly vulnerable to arrest and deportation as U.S. President Donald Trump pursues what he has said will be the “largest deportation operation in American history.”

After days of (sometimes violent) protest in Los Angeles following the arrest in the city last week of more than 100 undocumented immigrants, Clouthier recalled words spoken by her father, Manuel Clouthier, a candidate in Mexico’s 1988 presidential election.

“When you’re in a crowd [of protesters], any spark that flies ignites,” she recalled her father saying during an interview with Mexico News Daily on Monday.

For that reason, Clouthier said she has long advocated that protesters exercise caution and refrain from committing any acts of violence while expressing their demands in a demonstration. More succinctly, “prudencia, exigencia y no violencia” (prudence, demand and nonviolence).

Clouthier spoke to Mexico News Daily just hours after President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned violence in Los Angeles during the recent protests against immigration raids.

Tatiana Clouthier stands at a podium bearing the words "Relaciones Exteriores" next to a Mexican flag
Tatiana Clouthier heads the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (Instituto de Mexicanas y Mexicanos en el Exterior), a federal agency dedicated to supporting Mexicans who live outside Mexico. (Gobierno de México)

“We call on the Mexican community to act peacefully and not succumb to provocations,” Sheinbaum said at her Monday morning press conference.

Clouthier held up Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist César Chávez as a shining example of the nonviolent form of protest she advocates.

With his nonviolent leadership of protests, Chávez “moved rivers of people,” she said.

Asked about criticism of the use of Mexican flags and other foreign flags during the protests in Los Angeles, including from within the Trump administration, Clouthier simply noted that “California was Mexican territory,” and highlighted that when the United States took over the land, it didn’t expel the Mexicans living there.

‘People are afraid, people are scared, people are stressed’ 

We asked Clouthier what she, as head of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad, has heard about fear among Mexicans in the United States as Trump pushes ahead with what the Associated Press called a “maximalist approach to enforcing immigration laws.”

Fear of going to work due to the risk of arrest and deportation. Fear of going to school. Fear of going to Western Union to send remittances home.

“People are afraid, people are scared, people are stressed, people are reactive,” Clouthier told Mexico News Daily.

Consequently, the prevalence of mental health issues among members of immigrant communities in the U.S. is on the rise, she said.

Sheinbaum urges peaceful protest and due process after 42 Mexicans detained in Los Angeles ICE raids

The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants said in a paper published earlier this year that “research indicates that restrictive and punitive immigration policies are directly associated with adverse mental health outcomes among undocumented immigrants, including increased rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use.”

Another academic paper published by The Conversation in February states that “in hostile political climates, including the current moment in the U.S., immigrants feel the risk of deportation acutely.”

“… This feeling has a chilling effect, discouraging immigrants from the everyday activities they would otherwise do,” the paper says.

Clouthier noted that she recently met with members of the Mexican community in Redwood City, located between San Francisco and San Jose in California.

She said she detected “contained aggression” among the people she spoke to — a result of the current situation in the United States, even though deportation numbers in recent months have not matched Trump’s rhetoric.

The repressed aggression Clouthier spoke about is not always easily contained, as we saw in recent days in Los Angeles, where some protesters engaged in violent acts such as setting vehicles alight and hurling projectiles at authorities. According to California Governor Gavin Newsom, Trump inflamed the situation by deploying the National Guard to quell the protests.

Clouthier said that in addition to fear of going out due to the risk of being detained by ICE, some immigrants are also afraid that the money in their U.S. bank accounts could be seized and as a result are withdrawing their savings and stashing the cash in their homes.

“People are taking money out of banks and putting it under their pillows,” she said.

“… We’ve said that no one has the right to take your money from your bank, but there is fear,” Clouthier said.

‘Every time you eat a strawberry, every time you drink a glass of California wine’

As deportation numbers rise as ICE continues to carry out raids, Clouthier emphasized the importance of Mexican workers — including undocumented ones — to the United States economy.

A farm worker harvesting wine grapes in California
Clouthier expressed her concern for the long-term impacts of fear on the well-being of Mexican communities in the United States, who are the backbone of many domestic industries. (@UFWupdates/X)

She referred to remarks made by Democratic Party Congressman Lou Correa, who on Monday released a statement condemning ICE raids in Orange County, which borders Los Angeles County.

“Upon landing in Washington, I was shocked to hear of ICE raids being conducted across Orange County — where it appears agents are picking up hard-working, law-abiding taxpayers. Why?” Correa said in his statement.

“Yesterday, everything was good and boring in Santa Ana. Everyone was going to church and going to the grocery store — it was a beautiful day. Today ICE is coming in to raid and disrupt our neighborhood? These are the parents whose children went to school with my kids. They take care of our elderly, mow our lawns, and are a part of the fourth largest economy in the world. This is inciting fear in our community,” he said.

Clouthier said that “every time you eat a strawberry” in the United States and “every time you drink a glass of California wine,” you should remember the fundamental role of Mexican labor in the cultivation, picking and production of agricultural products in the U.S.

“Every time you eat a hamburger,” she added, before also noting the importance of Mexican labor to the construction industry in the United States.

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

Where to find Baja California Sur’s best stargazing

By
Chris Sands
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Stars in the Baja California desert
(Pinterest)

For most of human history, people have felt connected to the cosmos. How could they not when the night sky was teeming with stars?

In modernity, this kind of connection has become less common, since 58% of the eight billion plus people who currently inhabit Earth live in cities, urban areas plagued with light pollution due to numerous factors, including the high density of artificial lights, many of which are continuously illuminated, producing a hazy skyglow effect that mutes the brilliance of the night sky. So completely have views been inhibited by light pollution that an estimated 80% of North Americans can no longer see the Milky Way.

Night sky with milky way visible
Night sky over the Gulf of Mexico. (Stanislav.nevyhosteny / CC BY SA 4.0)

Fortunately, despite increasing pollution, there is a growing movement to protect dark sky sanctuaries. Baja California Sur (BCS), the state with the weakest population density in Mexico, has many of them.

The dark sky movement

To be clear, BCS has no sites officially certified by Dark Sky International, the non-profit organization that has advocated for conserving dark sky areas since 1988. The organization has added far more in the past decade, growing from 54 Dark Sky protected places in 2015 to 150 in 2020 and 230 by 2024. Additions include the Greater Big Bend International Dark Sky Reserve, which spans over 15,000 square miles across the U.S. and Mexico — primarily in Texas and Coahuila — and is the largest Dark Sky place in the world since being certified in 2022. 

The uptick in Dark Sky-recognized parks, sanctuaries and reserves reflects interest in the astrotourism market, which is expected to grow from US $250 million in 2023 to $400 million by 2030. BCS has been a beneficiary of this increased tourism. Although it boasts no certified areas, it is so sparsely populated—less than 800,000 residents as of 2020—that there is little light pollution. 

The astronomical history of BCS

BCS’s suitability for star gazing has long been known. Indeed, it was one of the sites chosen for observations during the legendary 1769 Transit of Venus. Heeding the suggestions of Edmond Halley — yes, the one the comet is named for — hundreds of astronomers participated in an attempt to gather precise enough data to accurately measure the distance from Earth to the sun. 

Tres Virgenes volcanos in background, grassy plain in foreground
The Tres Vírgenes volcano complex in Mulegé is one of the best locations for stargazing in BCS. (Luis Beltran / CC BY SA 4.0)

A team led by French astronomer Abbot Jean-Baptiste Chappe d’Auteroche arrived in San José del Cabo in May 1769, managing to record observations there and at Real de Santa Ana, the region’s first mining operation south of San Antonio. However, this project proved a perilous undertaking given the dangers of traveling during the 18th century. Due to yellow fever, only two of the 28 members of the team made it home alive. 

The best places to view the stars in BCS

There’s no danger of contracting yellow fever in Baja California in 2025, but the great night sky visibility remains. This has been conclusively proven by a collaborative study by the astronomical societies Mira and Merak in conjunction with the Consejo Sudcaliforniano de Ciencia y Tecnología. Since December 2023, members of these groups have been measuring the visual magnitude of visible light per square arcsecond using SQM-L photometers. 

In other words, researchers measured the night skies of BCS, which they believe are the darkest in the nation, and have logged the magnitude levels for sites around the state to determine which are the best for stargazing purposes. According to the light magnitude scale, numbers above 18 indicate that stars can be seen. However, only places with measurements above 21 provide the best conditions for astronomical observations, with the Milky Way visible.

Seventy sites in BCS were recorded with measurements between 18 and 21, with seven exceeding 21.5. These last are astronomical sanctuaries for night sky viewing, and include Llanito de los Becerros (21.85) and La Purísima (21.74) in the municipality of Comondú, plus Playa El Coyote (21.73) and Volcán de las Tres Vírgenes (21.57) in Mulegé. Cañón de la Zorra (21.55) was the best site in Los Cabos, the state’s most popular tourism destination. 

Those sites are the stargazing gold standard in BCS. Some, it should be noted, are in remote areas. Cañón de la Zorra, a nature preserve with a picturesque waterfall west of Santiago, in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range that runs up the center of the state between Los Cabos and Paz, is a great option for visiting stargazers thanks to the nearby Rancho Ecológico Sol de Mayo, which offers camping and cabins for overnight stays.

person stargazes through telescope in park at night
A stargazer in Mexico City. (Secretaría del Medio Ambiente de la Ciudad de México)

But as the numbers show, great stargazing is found around the state, including in and around cities and tourist destinations. For instance, Playa El Tecolote, outside La Paz, measured 20.88, while La Ribera, home to the Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, rated 20.84.

Stargazing events and features in Los Cabos and BCS

While few, there are occasional stargazing events in BCS. La Paz, for example, was one of many sites across Mexico to host a Noche de las Estrellas in November 2024 to celebrate the anniversary of the death of Marie Curie, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize. More recently, over a weekend in early 2025, Loreto held the first Cielo Mágico astronomical festival. The historic town, which has the distinction of being the first capital of California long before the modern U.S. state existed, is also a great stargazing destination, thanks to a light magnitude of 20.04.

Although there isn’t a specific measurement for Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, each offers dark skies, particularly away from the city centers. Two luxury resorts in Los Cabos are particularly notable for their stargazing features. One is Las Ventanas al Paraíso, which provides telescopes in every suite for those interested in viewing the heavens. Grand Velas Los Cabos is the other, offering a special stargazing package complete with a personal telescope and guide to the heavenly stars, plus canapés and a bottle of Champagne.

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

A touch of Frank Lloyd Wright in San Miguel de Allende

By
Deborah McCoy
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5
A modern Mexican courtyard with parquet floor and stone double entrance doors to a home. The three sides around the doors feature modernist abstract colors of stained glass.
A courtyard featuring the stained glass work of master glassmaker Gustavo Cruz Gómez. (Deb McCoy)

Back in the days before San Miguel de Allende became a world-class phenomenon (“The most beautiful small city in the world,” said Conde Nast), it was a sleepy little Mexican town where kids rode their bikes or played a rousing game of soccer in the middle of the streets. The city was then dominated, for 90 years, by a textile factory called La Aurora (now a dynamic art complex), which was the cornerstone of its economy, employing over 300 workers, all from San Miguel.

One of these men, José Cruz Gómez Corona, worked for the owner of La Aurora, Don Francisco Garay Sr., but he had different ambitions. In a glass shop that stood across from La Aurora, he learned to cut and etch and engrave glass, to bend and to shape it. He saw his newly acquired skill as the road to a better life, and in the back of one of the small houses built for Aurora’s workers, where he lived with his family, he made a studio. There, he invented a device that etched glass. 

A large brick factory building entrance with the name "La Aurora" in black iron letters up top. There a large windows on either side with wrought-iron bars instead of glass.
The La Aurora art complex today in San Miguel de Allende. When it was a textile factory — from the turn of the 20th century to 1991 — José Cruz Gómez Corona worked here until he learned glassmaking and changed careers. (La Aurora)

In the interim, local artisans were trying to sell small glass jewelry boxes to tourists, but with little luck. José saw something in that box and changed the look by adding a door and etching the glass — and voila! They sold!

Then along came a guy, Maya, from the U.S. He ordered boxes — first a few, then hundreds and then thousands — selling them to U.S. stores like Sears and Pier One, changing José’s life forever. His days of working for Don Francisco were over. 

José taught his son Gustavo all he knew about glass, and when the boy was about 15, his uncle, Rafael, who worked for United Art Glass in Naperville, Illinois, asked if he’d like to come to the United States. He went. 

The company’s owner, Joe Freeze, asked him to demonstrate his ability in glass work by making a lampshade, which Gustavo did. This led to a full-time job, and within a few months’ time, Gustavo, despite speaking very little English, was the workshop’s manager, and his uncle, his employee.  

The company was known for its traditional leaded-glass windows, stained-glass repairs, and artistic workshops, catering to both hobbyists and professional artisans — and whenever Freeze had a job to install or to assess, he took Gustavo with him. Once he learned that Gustavo knew how to create shades in the Tiffany style, Gustavo’s horizons expanded, and so did his career. 

Never leaving Freeze behind, Gustavo also worked part-time for other prestigious companies in the area, including Amity Stained Glass and the legendary Norman Bourdage, as well as Curran-Glass, which specialized in leaded-glass restoration, custom beveled glass and bent glass and the production of stained glass windows and light fixtures.

A dark studio with a desk, glass lampshades, and stained glass windows in the ceiling and in the front of the room.
Frank Lloyd Wright was famous for making his own leaded-glass window designs, as is seen here in his Oak Park, Illinois home. Gustavo Cruz Gómez’s training in glasswork led him to restoring such windows in Lloyd Wright buildings in the area around Napierville, Illinois.

Bourdage crafted bespoke stained-glass windows, lamps and decorative panels for residential and commercial clients and also restored church windows, but it was at United Art Glass that Gustavo learned lead canes — the art of making slender, grooved bars of lead alloy that join individual pieces of glass into a unified panel. This technique, dating back to medieval times, remains the foundation of creating durable stained-glass artworks, particularly for architectural installations — and now Gustavo was a master! 

In the early 20th century, Frank Lloyd Wright had made his mark in Oak Park, Illinois, which was not far from Naperville, and so there was a lot of his glass to be restored. Wright had designed and built about 38 structures in the Oak Park area, and that’s where Gustavo and Curran-Glass came into play. 

Gustavo had opened his own studio in 1991, in Wheaton, Illinois, aptly called, Wheaton Stained Glass. Buying an old Victorian home, perfectly suited to his trade, he worked on Frank Lloyd Wright restoration and repairs, along with Curran-Glass, while making his own objets d’art and teaching classes in stained-glass design. 

But alas, all good things must come to an end. Gustavo was an undocumented immigrant, and although he bought property legally and paid his taxes, the IRS felt differently, and Gustavo was given a year to exit the U.S. There was no choice but to return to San Miguel. He had not cut ties there. He had commuted back and forth over the years and had a wife and two sons, whom he rarely saw. But it was time to go.

Coming back was not easy, but he figured if he could do it in the U.S., he could do it in San Miguel, and 25 years ago, this fantastic business was born. 

Gustavo is an artist in stained glass, and glass of all kinds — from classic to modern, from windows and doors and to lighting and more. He worked and learned from top artists and architects in San Miguel along the way and became diverse in his knowledge of furniture and lighting, creating custom pieces for all facets of home décor. And these clients, knowing his talent and artistry — and his insatiable desire for perfection, happily gave him their trade. 

Working with his two sons, Carlos and Christian, Gustavo hopes to take the business to a new level of design, and to expand into real estate, architecture and construction. 

“We never saw COVID-19 coming,” he said, “so you can make plans, but you don’t know… It’s up to you to make it happen. When you fall down, you get up. When you fall down again, you get up again… It’s called persistence.”

Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream, bridal-reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter™ on FaceBook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” via CakeChatter (available @amazon.com). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ (aa-wp.com).

In 3 days, authorities confiscate 44 tonnes of drugs in operations across Mexico

By
MND Staff
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1
A historic weekend of drug busts started on Friday, when Mexican customs officials at the border with Guatemala intercepted a tractor-trailer carrying 1.193 tonnes of cocaine concealed within its cargo.
A historic weekend of drug busts started on Friday, when Mexican customs officials at the border with Guatemala intercepted a tractor-trailer carrying 1.193 tonnes of cocaine concealed within its cargo. (FGR)

A series of high-profile drug busts across Mexico in recent days has dealt a major blow to the country’s trafficking cartels.

Between June 6 and June 8, authorities reported seizing over 40 tonnes of narcotics and dismantling key infrastructure for synthetic drug production from Chiapas to Michoacán.

On Friday, Mexican customs officials at the Ciudad Hidalgo-Ciudad Tecún Umán border crossing, which links Mexico and Guatemala, intercepted a tractor-trailer carrying 1.193 tonnes of cocaine concealed within its cargo. The discovery was made during an X-ray inspection, and the driver — who reportedly claimed affiliation with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) — was arrested. Authorities estimate the shipment’s value at 274 million pesos (US $14.4 million).

That same day, federal agents in San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, confiscated more than 500 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a truck during a checkpoint inspection, underscoring the strategic importance of this border city for trafficking drugs into the United States.

Baja California state police also made two significant finds on Friday. 

In Tijuana, a routine patrol along the Alamar Norte highway led officers to a suspicious truck parked on the roadside. An inspection uncovered 275 kilos of fentanyl hidden in cylinders in the truck bed, a haul with an estimated street value of 80 million pesos (US $4.2 million). Officials believe the shipment was linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. 

Meanwhile, in Playas de Rosarito, state authorities raided an auto repair shop allegedly used to modify vehicles with secret compartments for drug transport, seizing 10 vehicles during the operation.

In Michoacán, authorities dismantled major narco-laboratories in the municipalities of Arteaga, Madero and Morelia. On Friday, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch reported the confiscation of over 90 containers with chemical substances, 683 sacks of chemical precursors, and specialized equipment used for the production of synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine in Arteaga. 

Three-hundred kilometers northeast, near the state capital of Morelia, a joint operation led by the Mexican Navy (Semar) with support from the National Guard, Army, federal Attorney General’s Office and state police, resulted in the seizure of approximately 42.24 tonnes of methamphetamine, 44 drums each containing 200 liters of methylamine, 8,800 liters of chemical precursors and a wide array of specialized equipment used for manufacturing synthetic drugs. The illicit substances and materials, found across five properties, were valued at over 1.06 billion pesos (US $55.6 million).

These busts are part of a broader cartel crackdown that, according to Security Minister Omar García Harfuch, has led to the inactivation of nearly 1,000 clandestine labs across Mexico so far this year, inflicting “hundreds of millions of pesos” in economic losses on criminal groups.

With reports from El Sol De México, Tribuna de San Luis, Infobae and El Financiero

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