The men’s World Cup is over, now Mexico’s women are ready for their moment
With the 2026 edition of the men’s World Cup behind us — in which Mexico became the first country to host the sporting event on three separate occasions (1970, 1986 and 2026), leaving an indelible impression on fans worldwide who openly celebrated Mexico’s culture, gastronomy and spirited fandom — the “summer of North American soccer” is coming to a close. Well, sort of. It’s not completely over.
Luckily for fans of fútbol (also known as fút or balompié in Mexico), on-pitch action will resume with a different set of national heroes, as Mexico and the rest of the globe prepare for the upcoming 2027 Women’s World Cup.
World Cup qualifying has already begun
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Though the tournament won’t actually take place until next summer — hosted in Brazil, marking the first time the FIFA women’s edition will take place on Latin American soil since debuting in 1991 — the race for the trophy is already underway.
Last winter, World Cup qualifying games began; this fall, North American qualifiers, which determine which teams from the region will compete in the World Cup, will conclude.
Here’s a look at Mexico’s national women’s squad and how they have fared so far on their historically arduous journey for sporting glory.
A history of women’s professional soccer in Mexico
Like all women’s sports around the globe, Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil is relatively new and lags behind its male counterpart league in terms of financial support, national investment, media coverage and, as a result, fandom. Despite those barriers, it has been celebrated as a highly successful effort.
The league was announced in late 2016 and officially played its first game in 2017. Since then, it has quietly developed into one of the world’s leading women’s leagues, with the Associated Press reporting that “women’s pro soccer is thriving in Mexico” and The New York Times citing it as the most-watched women’s league on the planet.
That said, it hasn’t been a path without systemic and cultural resistance. Instances of gender bias, sexism and a massive gap in pay and resources have endured. Last summer, Mexican men’s national team legend and former superstar Javier “Chicharito” Hernández was fined by the Mexican Football Federation for demeaning comments on social media that portrayed women as “failing” and “eradicating masculinity,” prompting a response from President Claudia Sheinbaum. In 2023, former Club América Femenil player Scarlett Camberos chose to leave the team and country due to excessive sexual harassment and cyberstalking.
Liga MX Femenil and the birth of the FIFA Women’s World Cup
Though Liga MX Femenil — both its successes and its accentuated reminder of Mexico’s machismo — is relatively nascent, pro women’s soccer in Mexico can be traced back to 1970. Before FIFA’s involvement, an unofficial Women’s World Cup existed as a series of international events independently sponsored by various nations. In those times, Mexico finished in third place at the 1970 World Cup in Italy and ended as runner-up in the largely erased 1971 World Cup in Mexico. It is estimated that the 1971 final at Estadio Azteca drew 110,000 fans. Unofficial tournaments continued throughout the 1980s under non-FIFA-sanctioned entities like the Chinese Taipei Football Association.
Pressure for an official FIFA Women’s World Cup mounted, crescendoing in 1986 when Norwegian delegate Ellen Wille famously urged FIFA to legitimize a women’s tournament in a speech that “changed the course of women’s football,” according to the BBC. In 1988, FIFA organized a trial tournament, the FIFA Women’s Invitation Tournament in China. Overwhelming success resulted in the debut of the official Women’s World Cup in 1991 in China.
Surprisingly, since the FIFA era of the World Cup began, Mexico’s women’s team hasn’t shown much promise. That is finally changing.
The road to the 2027 World Cup is off to a perfect start
In February, Mexico’s women’s team kicked off its World Cup campaign in the preliminary qualifying rounds of the Concacaf W Championship. Concacaf is the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, representing one of FIFA’s six continental governing bodies, which divides competition into regional tournaments that funnel teams into the World Cup every four years. Under this format, all North American, Central American and Caribbean teams face off, with the four quarterfinal winners earning direct berths to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Currently, Mexico is among the remaining eight North American countries with a chance to secure a World Cup ticket this year. It can do so by defeating Haiti on Nov. 28 at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium in Texas.
Mexico’s women haven’t reached a World Cup since 2015. Unlike the Mexican men’s national team — which has qualified 18 times dating back to 1930 — the women have appeared only three times (1999, 2011 and 2015). While the Women’s World Cup has taken place only nine times compared to 23 for the men, El Tri Femenil has struggled to assert regional dominance, holding a 33.3% qualification rate compared to the men’s nearly 80% rate over a much longer period.
A thus-far ‘flawless’ qualifying journey
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However, this World Cup cycle is proving to be different: Mexico’s women have been perfect in their qualifying run, an unprecedented feat. In 2023, Mexico also went undefeated for the first time at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, en route to claiming its first gold medal, proving this current team’s success is no fluke.
El Tri has topped Group A of the Concacaf W Championship qualifiers with a flawless 12 points — going unbeaten in four matches and scoring 36 goals while conceding zero. That places them among the continent’s strongest units and makes them favorites to advance. While they have primarily played lower-ranked competition — such as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which Mexico defeated 14-0, and Puerto Rico — the core of the 2023 Pan American Games roster remains intact, leading many to consider this the best women’s team Mexico has ever fielded.
‘The Sorceress’ and other Mexico stars to watch
The roster is headlined by Lizbeth “La Maga” Ovalle (whose nickname translates to “The Sorceress”). Having debuted professionally in 2017, the winger — originally from Aguascalientes, who gained fame as one of Mexico’s top scorers with Tigres UANL — set a record in 2025 by signing a US $1.5 million contract with the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League, making it one of the most lucrative deals in women’s soccer history. That same year, Ovalle won the FIFA Marta Award for “Best Goal of the Year” at The Best FIFA Football Awards ceremony for her spectacular “scorpion kick” goal.
Behind Ovalle, Mexico boasts a depth of experience and skill with team captain Rebeca Bernal and the formidable striker Charlyn Corral, one of Mexico’s all-time leading goal scorers. Complementing the veteran leadership is “Concacaf Best Young Player” award winner Alice Soto, a 19-year-old dynamic midfielder who debuted professionally at age 13 and has been scoring in Liga MX Femenil ever since.
Why upcoming qualification matters
Against Haiti, Mexico can automatically claim a direct spot in the 2027 World Cup. A loss would send the team to a playoff round for a second chance.
Haiti is coming off its inaugural appearance in the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Les Grenadières, as they are known, are a rising team led by attacking duo Melchie Dumornay and Nérilia Mondésir, supported by a defense that has allowed only one goal during qualifiers.
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Though the Women’s World Cup does not begin until next June, the matches will stream on Netflix for the first time, with Mexico’s women primed for their deepest run in tournament history. Furthermore, the 2031 Women’s World Cup will be co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, Costa Rica and Jamaica, marking the first time Mexico will host the FIFA women’s event.
Until then, El Tri Femenil hopes to deliver the nation its first World Cup trophy — regardless of gender.
Alan Chazaro is the author of “These Spaceships Weren’t Built For Us” (Tia Chucha Press, 2026), “Notes from the Eastern Span of the Bay Bridge” (Ghost City Press, 2021), “Piñata Theory” (Black Lawrence Press, 2020), and “This Is Not a Frank Ocean Cover Album” (Black Lawrence Press, 2019). He is a graduate of June Jordan’s Poetry for the People program at UC Berkeley and was selected as a Lawrence Ferlinghetti Poetry Fellow at the University of San Francisco. His work can be found in NPR, The Guardian, SLAM, GQ, L.A. Times, and more. He is currently based in Veracruz.
US crimes against Mexico from an immigrant’s perspective
There is nothing like living outside of your native country to make you reflect on the meaning of its actions, especially if your native country happens to be the United States of America.
Living in Mexico, of course, makes you an automatic representative of your country. This is not a fair position to be in, but it is the story of immigrants everywhere. For the most part, I benefit from my country of origin: whereas plenty of people in the U.S. might look down on an immigrant from Mexico, here it is the opposite. Most people expect me to be cool and interesting, and maybe a little sneaky, scary or both.
We may all be individuals, but the human brain only has so much capacity to think of people as individuals. Gather too many foreign individuals into the same place, and the borders between us blur and blend until we are collectively “others.”
Proud and ashamed
Many things about the U.S. make me very, very proud to be from there: like jazz music, the advancement of civil rights and feminism. First in flight. Customer service agents who are mostly empowered to actually help you. Clean public restrooms with toilet paper, for free!
Other aspects of my home country, however, make me feel deeply, deeply ashamed. A less-than-stellar record when it comes to genocide and enslavement, for example. And oh, Lord, influential religious leaders who would love to send us back to those “good old days.” Deliver us!
When it comes to current events, our treatment of immigrants is at the top of my list right now.
In case you have been protecting your peace more than I have and have abstained from the news, here is a sad summary: Donald Trump returned to office with as much of a mandate as you could suppose to reduce the “out of control” immigration in the U.S.
The killing of innocents and deportation of US citizens
More Latinos in the U.S. than ever voted for him. Strangely, they seemed to believe his promise that he would only target and deport “the criminals” among them. Who would not get behind that?
As it turns out, there are a lot fewer “immigrant criminals” than most people thought. So, unfortunately for the law-abiders, the net was pretty much immediately cast much, much wider to meet detention quotas set by the administration. It caught mothers and fathers taking their children to school. It caught lots and lots of people here legally, papers be damned. It caught those who were brought as children and have known no other life than that of an American.
On top of the generalized horror of being torn from one’s life, there is the very suspicious fact that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been extremely cagey, caught in lies more than once. It is a fight every time a local official wants to enter a (privately run) detention facility. Those who have come out of them have described the places as unfit for human beings. Rotting food, freezing temperatures and medical needs that are ignored. It is not hard to imagine how over 50 people have died since detentions were ramped up upon Trump’s return, some by suicide. Seventeen of these deaths have been of Mexican nationals (14 in custody, three during “operations”).
A lack of institutional control
Then, of course, there are the vehicle stops and shootings under extremely suspicious circumstances. One of the latest, of course, was that of a Mexican national, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who turned out not to even be ICE’s target. ICE’s story is that he tried to “weaponize his vehicle” against them. Witnesses say it was quite the opposite. The feds had to be blocked from deporting the witnesses. Weird behavior from an institution that has nothing to hide, right?
In short, things are truly out of control.
The U.S. and Mexico are supposed to be allies. What is going on here?
‘A general lack of accountability’
The main thing that is going on, I believe, is that the wrong people are in charge. Unhappy people voted them in, believing their lies about what the source of their unhappiness actually stemmed from. A threadbare social safety net paired with barely-there labor laws that are happy to let people simply fall through the net and onto the concrete pavement? Nah, that cannot be it … transgender people and immigrants, that is who is hurting you!
Social media — what was supposed to bring us together — and a general lack of accountability to the truth that the internet age has wrought have been excellent at getting people all riled up for stupid reasons.
The U.S. is really pushing it with Mexico right now.
Can Mexico do anything about it?
I personally think that is doubtful, but who knows? I have been wrong before. But if ICE cannot even be held accountable for its on-camera killings of U.S. citizens, who is going to put a boot on its neck over immigrant killings?
And when the offending country has been essentially in charge of international justice for decades, it is hard to tap the brakes. After all, who do you go to for help when the police themselves are corrupt?
Mexico, of course, understands this conundrum in a literal sense. But Mexico also does not claim to be the distributor of justice for the world, either.
Of all the words I might use to describe Mexicans, “proud” would be in the top five. While it seems that a few insults here and there will always be tolerated because of the particular power dynamic the two countries have, you cannot just start letting its citizens die and not even apologize for it.
Mexico files criminal complaints
Claudia Sheinbaum, thankfully, is not letting this go. Criminal complaints, cease-and-desist letters to the private companies in charge of detention, the United Nations. They are going at it from all angles.
The Secretariat of Foreign Affairs is “filing a criminal complaint against whoever is responsible.”
But, gosh. “Whoever is responsible.” Hmm. There is our first issue right there.
Would that be the president, for insisting that as many immigrants be tossed out of the U.S. as possible? Stephen Miller, the architect of the whole thing? Agency heads? Those who hire and “train” (or don’t) ICE officers? The private companies who feel no need to provide adequate living conditions? The offending/negligent immigration officers themselves? It truly is a long list of candidates.
The known reality, of course, is that in the end, it is unlikely anyone will be held to account. I mean, we cannot even get the U.S. to acknowledge that it dropped a bomb on an Iranian girls’ school, killing hundreds of children. Sanctity of life, indeed.
‘The twin monsters of incompetence and cruelty’
How are we supposed to get anyone who has been given “free rein” to carry out the president’s signature plan to play fair?
One of the biggest crimes that humans commit against each other is allowing the twin monsters of incompetence and cruelty to go on … and right now, those twin monsters have the full backing of the U.S. federal government.
This is what happens when you remove the shackles of accountability from institutions filled with the kinds of people who see the world as a fight between those who hunt and those who get hunted.
And many people who work in ICE fancy themselves hunters; they like to prey on people who are running or scared, or just trying to stay out of trouble’s way. They are hunted by the same types of people who used to catch (and torture) runaway slaves. They sniff out fear and relish the capture.
So here we are, many of us, living in a country that has welcomed us in ways that the U.S. would not dream of welcoming our neighbors. It is a strange and sad position to be in. It is also worth remembering that the tables could always turn.
We are the “others” here, after all.
Sarah DeVries is a writer and translator based in Xalapa, Veracruz. She can be reached through her website, sarahedevries.substack.com.
Mexico’s week in review: World Cup glow fades as tariffs and security challenges take center stage
This week marked the end of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the conclusion of Mexico’s third turn as a host country. The week opened with President Sheinbaum’s attendance at the World Cup final in New Jersey, where brief exchanges with Trump, Carney and other officials set the tone for USMCA review talks that resumed in Mexico City. Sheinbaum later called the tournament a diplomatic success, and world leaders had high praise for Mexico’s performance as a host nation.
As World Cup excitement faded, security stories dominated elsewhere. Zacatecas authorities linked the multihomicide of 10 people, including a former mayor, to extortion and official collusion, while a Sinaloa Cartel kingpin, “El Mayo” Zambada, was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. While El Mayo’s court case has run its course, infighting within the cartel he once led prompted 900 more troops to deploy to Mazatlán, Sinaloa. The week ended with the annoucement of sweeping U.S. sanctions against an opposing organized crime syndicate, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
On the economic front, inflation fell to its lowest level since 2020 and a new round of U.S. tariffs largely spared Mexico.
Didn’t have time to catch this week’s top stories? Here’s what you missed.
Security: Homicides fall, but high-profile violence persists
México state’s homicide rate has dropped to its lowest level in 19 years, officials said Wednesday, citing a “unified command” strategy that cut daily killings by 58% since September 2024. In Morelos, Governor Margarita González’s administration touted a 54% homicide drop alongside improving public perceptions of safety, even as the state investigated the murder of a mayor with alleged ties to organized crime.
That progress contrasted with events in Sinaloa and Oaxaca. The Zacatecas multihomicide, which included a former mayor of Sombrerete and two Fresnillo officials, is being investigated as a possible case of extortion and collusion between criminals and public officials. In Mazatlán, a string of targeted attacks over the past two weeks left at least a dozen dead, prompting the arrival of 900 additional troops, bringing the security deployment to more than 1,300 personnel. Authorities attributed the violence to the ongoing feud between Sinaloa Cartel factions that intensified after Zambada’s 2024 arrest. Separately, journalist Alejandro Leyva was shot dead in Oaxaca on Wednesday, the second journalist killed in Mexico in less than a week. Federal prosecutors took over the case at the request of state officials.
On Thursday, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned 39 individuals and 16 companies linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, including the CJNG’s new leader, Juan Carlos Valencia González, a.k.a. “El Pelón.” The U.S. called it the largest action ever taken against the group, and Mexico’s financial intelligence unit blocked the same accounts.
El Mayo’s sentencing and its aftermath
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, Sinaloa Cartel co-founder, was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to forfeit $15 billion by a U.S. federal judge on Monday. In court, Zambada urged young people to avoid a life of crime. President Sheinbaum said she agreed with the sentiment but declined to explicitly endorse a message from a convicted trafficker. Mexican officials said Wednesday it remains unclear whether Zambada could ever be transferred to a Mexican prison, a decision that depends on whether the Attorney General’s Office pursues extradition.
Trade and economy: Inflation eases, tariff fights continue
Mexico’s annual inflation rate fell to 3.10% in the first half of July, the lowest for any comparable period since December 2020, driven largely by falling produce prices. Meanwhile, the tariffs Mexico implemented this year on countries without free trade agreements — chiefly targeting China — cut affected imports by 23.2% between January and May, even as overall imports from Asia rose on surging Taiwanese semiconductor purchases.
On the U.S. side, President Trump’s re-imposed tariffs took effect Friday on dozens of countries, but Mexico avoided major new costs: About 80% of Mexican exports remain tariff-free under the USMCA, according to Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard. While dozens of other countries faced increased tariffs, Mexico’s rate remained at 10%. The U.S. gave Mexico a heads-up before the announcement, as U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer visited Mexico City this week to meet with Sheinbaum and press for stricter automotive rules of origin in the ongoing USMCA review, citing a growing U.S. auto trade deficit with Mexico.
Health, migration and infrastructure
Deputy Health Minister Eduardo Clark reported that 30 public hospital projects have been completed since October 2024, adding 1,474 beds toward a goal of 9,000 by 2030, with 33 more projects due this year. Health officials also moved to calm fears over a U.S. Cyclospora outbreak initially attributed to lettuce from Guanajuato: After the FDA retracted a positive test result, Mexican authorities said there was no evidence of contamination in Mexican-grown produce.
A new report from the Migration Policy Institute found the Mexican-born population in the U.S. has fallen to 11.1 million, down more than 500,000 since a 2007 peak, a decline researchers said could accelerate amid stepped-up immigration enforcement. On infrastructure, the government launched the second construction phase of its passenger rail program, which will link central Mexico to Saltillo and the Pacific coast, while separate data showed Mexico is drawing more international tourists but earning less per visitor as land-crossing traffic outpaces higher-spending air arrivals.
Also this week, the federal government joined Jalisco state officials in announcing a joint effort to rehabilitate Guadalajara’s aging water infrastructure and curb industrial contamination of the Lerma River, while Mexico City announced three regional forums to debate social media and AI regulation for minors.
Looking ahead
USMCA negotiations are set to continue following this week’s talks with Greer, with both sides aiming for interim agreements before year’s end even as the review process stretches toward 2036. Security officials face pressure to build on regional and national homicide declines while containing the Sinaloa Cartel factional violence driving unrest in Mazatlán and elsewhere. Investigations into the Zacatecas multihomicide and the killing of journalist Alejandro Leyva remain open, with federal authorities now involved in both cases.
Also in the news this week
- The Cueva twins beat China for gold in synchronized 3-meter springboard diving at the Zapopan Diving Cup.
- Nuevo León led all states in investment pledges so far this year, accumulating $5.58 billion.
- Oaxaca’s Guelaguetza cultural festival kicked off its 94th edition, drawing more than 11,000 spectators on opening day.
- Winger Julián Quiñones was ranked FIFA’s eighth-best World Cup player after scoring four goals for El Tri.
- Google launched a virtual tour of Estadio Azteca’s 65-year history via Google Earth.
- Semarnat halted a luxury Nayarit beach project at Punta Mita over environmental violations.
- The binational México canta contest drew over 16,000 auditions for its second edition.
Mexico News Daily
This story contains summaries of original Mexico News Daily articles. The summaries were generated by Claude, then revised and fact-checked by a Mexico News Daily staff editor.
Postcards from Mexico: On the Cabo San Lucas Marina
CABO SAN LUCAS, Baja California Sur, Oct. 25 — It’s quiet and cool off the strip. The abarrotes are just opening, and there’s an old man in a vest up the block pushing a shopping cart full of empty beer cans. That might be mop-up duty from last night’s debauchery, or this morning’s. Stray dogs patrol the streets, trotting from one garbage pile to the next like derelict show ponies. In their glory days, they guarded the now-abandoned buildings that flank the street, too pure for this world with their barbed-wire crowns of thorns.
Baby birds are just waking up, warbling. They were promised a worm, like all early birds, but maybe they’ll settle for the gnats buzzing around my face, plentiful at these hours when it’s still not hot enough for the sun to burn them out of the air midflight.
It doesn’t take much to drown out the noise they make. Every half-minute, buses rattle up the sand-dusted Narciso Mendoza and down the Leona Vicario. As I turn onto Lázaro Cárdenas, I’m presented with a beautiful bouquet of belching tubas courtesy of the music blaring from the back of a black vocho. One doesn’t question who would blast banda music at this hour. “Reveille.” “La 4 x 4.” Same tiger, different stripes.
The soundtrack of the Cabo San Lucas Marina
The playlist in the Cabo San Lucas Marina is different. You might still hear some classics, depending on whose boat you walk by, but the shops and kiosks pander to a different demographic. I still haven’t quite figured out which. Daft Punk begets Murray Head, which begets Katy Perry. Speaking of which, Señor Frog’s is still thriving. Even at this hour, I spot a gringo retiree in board shorts and a tank top loitering in front, presumably curious about hours of operation. He’s in good company.
Along the esplanade, you hear far more English than Spanish. Much of that comes from merchants stumbling through back-of-the-napkin phrases they’ve committed to memory to entice newly arrived tourists to buy their wares. Though I also hear an old woman muttering something to her dog about one of the boats they pass by, so I guess even the dogs here are fluent.
‘A parking lot for yachts’
Along a wall, a line of men wearing Oakleys, long-sleeved shirts and visors sits idly, taking it easy before heading out on whatever excursions they’ll be leading. Nearby, a bored-looking clerk in a dockside store that looks like Cabo’s version of J. Peterman scrolls on his phone, unfazed about the urban sombrero sales quota he’ll need to meet by the end of the day. Even aboard the boats, on the eve of the world’s biggest marlin tournament, local fishermen prattle, hosing down decks and trying to be heard over the dull roar of idling boat engines.
This marina is like a Costco parking lot for yachts, though instead of an associate in a neon vest checking your ID, there’s a tall, wrought-iron gate with an entrance like a cage that only those with a key can get through. I pause to size it up, then look around to see who’s watching. “I could hop that,” I say to myself.
Ethan Jacobs is a freelance writer and writing coach based in Playa del Carmen. He has written extensively in narrative and short fiction formats, and his work has received recognition both domestically and internationally in microfiction, short fiction and narrative essay formats.
Is Chipotle in Mexico a good or bad idea? A ‘Confidently Wrong’ podcast
Recently, and with much fanfare, Chipotle opened its first restaurant in Mexico. Perhaps not surprisingly, the opening spurred a polarizing debate and discussion about whether a U.S.-based Mexican restaurant chain would do well in the country. Years ago, Taco Bell entered the country and ultimately left in what was considered a disaster.
So what are the arguments for and against Chipotle coming to Mexico? Is it yet another unwanted assault of American culture on another country? Or is it a welcome sign of competition and choice for Mexicans?
Could it lead to lost business for local Mexican restaurants and reduced “authentic” Mexican food options? Or could it create a standard for the trifecta of affordability, service and quality that Chipotle is known for and oftentimes doesn’t exist in many restaurants today? Or perhaps it’s not that big of a deal, and people should move on?
And finally, what does the choice of a ritzy Monterrey suburb as the first restaurant location in the country tell us?
I will admit that while I have been a very frequent customer of Chipotle in the United States, I have actually eaten very few burritos here in Mexico. And the ones I have had have been very different.
In this week’s episode of Confidently Wrong, George and I talk through the arguments on each side of the debate and offer our own thoughts and opinions. Where do you stand on this issue? Check out the discussion here:
Confidently wrong about Chipotle: Episode 5 - Season 3
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
US sanctions more than 50 Jalisco cartel-linked individuals and businesses
The U.S. Treasury on Thursday imposed sanctions on 39 Mexican individuals and 16 companies it alleges are linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), calling it “the largest action ever taken” against the notorious crime gang.
The measure targets the leadership of the cartel — designated by President Donald Trump as a foreign terrorist organization — and its illicit financing networks across Mexico.
The Treasury Department said in a statement that the goal of the sanctions is to limit the CJNG’s ability to traffic fentanyl and other drugs into the United States.
Shortly thereafter, Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) reported it had identified “indicators related to possible operations with resources of illicit origin, including cash transactions, acquisition of high-end vehicles, jewelry and real estate,” as well as “international transfers, intensive use of credit and debit cards and transactions using virtual assets.”
As a result of this review, Mexico blocked the accounts of the same 55 individuals and companies sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department.
“The coordinated actions between Mexican and U.S. authorities strengthen mechanisms of international cooperation to prevent abuse of the financial system, combat money laundering and weaken the economic structures of organized crime,” the UIF said.
Among those sanctioned is Juan Carlos González, aka “El Pelón,” identified by U.S. authorities as the new leader of the CJNG following the February death of his stepfather, cartel founder, Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, who was killed in a federal operation.
The U.S. State Department has offered a reward of US $5 million for the capture of González, who holds both Mexican and U.S. citizenship.
Also sanctioned was the network of associates and subordinates linked to Audias Flores Silva, aka El Jardinero, who was arrested by Mexican authorities in April.
The UIF review found “inconsistencies” in tax records involving the accused, saying “they present characteristics of shell companies or with corporate structures of limited or no apparent economic activity.”
A complaint was filed with the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and the 39 individuals — as well as eight others accused of being part of the same CJNG network — were added to the UIF’s Blocked Persons List (BPL).
The BPL is a public report identifying individuals and legal entities involved in money laundering or terrorist financing. All Mexican individuals and companies are required to immediately suspend any and all acts, operations or services with people or entities on the BPL.
With reports from EFE, Infobae, El Economista and La Jornada
Volaris will be the first Mexico-based airline to offer passengers Starlink satellite Wi-Fi
Low-cost airline Volaris will soon become the first Mexican carrier to offer Starlink satellite Wi-Fi on board its flights.
Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite network, is known for allowing users to browse the Internet as if they were on the ground. In the sky, users can text, make video calls, listen to music, work remotely, or watch streaming content.
First, we changed the way Mexico flies. Now, we’re changing what flying feels like. The fastest Wi-Fi in the sky is coming aboard with @Starlink
Book here: https://t.co/YO6KQwZld5 pic.twitter.com/eL6T5xjTOV
— Volaris (@viajaVolaris) July 14, 2026
Starlink’s advantage is that it operates via satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), much closer to the planet than older systems, shortening data travel distance, cutting response time delay, and using flat smart antennas to track moving connections.
Volaris expects to have Starlink’s Internet available across its entire fleet by 2027. But it has not specified whether access will be free for all passengers, linked to a loyalty program, or have an additional cost.
The rollout will encompass more than 150 Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, on both domestic and international routes.
This announcement is part of a broader strategy by Indigo Partners — Volaris’s holding company — which also includes JetSMART, Wizz Air, Frontier, and Cebu Pacific. Collectively, these airlines plan to install Starlink on more than a thousand aircraft worldwide.
Unlike other connectivity models, the service won’t be managed by the airline, but directly by Starlink through its own system.
Beyond improving passenger experience, the technology seeks to improve communication between aircraft and ground personnel, anticipate maintenance needs before they become failures and better react to unforeseen events.
Said Volaris head Enrique Beltranera, “The airline’s ultra-low-cost model goes hand in hand with an exceptional travel experience, which continues to evolve in line with our customers’ expectations.”
With reports from Aviación Online and ADN 40
Trump re-imposes his tariffs, but Mexico gets a pass
The U.S. government imposed new tariffs on 80 countries effective on Friday, but Mexico escaped relatively unscathed.
Taxes on Mexican goods replace the 10% duty U.S. President Donald Trump dictated in February after the Supreme Court invalidated the broad-based tariffs he had applied last year. Those original replacement tariffs were valid for only 150 days, prompting Friday’s new levies.
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer informed President Claudia Sheinbaum of the pending decision during a Thursday morning meeting at the National Palace.
Afterward, Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard explained that the 10% tariff does not affect approximately 80% of the products Mexico exports to the U.S.
“Mexican products that comply with the terms of the US-Mexico-Canada trade pact (USMCA) will remain tariff-free,” Ebrard said.
The other 20% involved previously established sectoral duties — including those applied to specific non-USMCA goods, steel and vehicles — that were already set at 10% and therefore will essentially be unchanged.
There is a possibility that Mexico could be subject to an “excess capacity” tariff — an obscure provision of a 1930 trade law that applies to countries that “put undue burdens on U.S. imports.” This is likely to be addressed during ongoing USMCA negotiations.
The new U.S. tariffs seek to address what the Trump administration claims are unfair trade practices in an effort to restore some of the rates struck down by the Supreme Court.
The USTR conducted investigations seeking to establish that some countries had failed to take steps to curb forced labor, with the alleged worst offenders now facing a 12.5% tariff rate. However, the forced-labor compliance requirements do not affect Mexico, Ebrard said.
Sheinbaum reiterated this news during her Friday morning press conference.
“All products we exported within the USMCA have zero tariffs, with the exception of steel, some vehicles and products exported outside the treaty,” she said. “Mexico remains exactly the same as we were a week ago.”
The US Trade Representative’s Mexico City agenda
In addition to meeting with Sheinbaum, Greer was in Mexico City to participate in bilateral talks as part of the ongoing review of the USMCA.
Greer and Ebrard discussed topics ranging from steel and aluminum and derivative products, automobiles, economic security, labor, agriculture and electronic payment services.
Sheinbaum said her meeting with Greer served as “an assessment of how far the talks have come, to learn more about what the U.S. is proposing, and to consider the timeline.”
With reports from El Economista, El Financiero and Atlantic Council
