Replete with its gastronomic offerings, waterfall hikes and abundance of history, it’s beloved year-round — with moderate weather and unbeatable views of Cofre de Perote, the eighth tallest summit in the country.

Surrounded by rivers and banana trees, Xico is a majestic locale unto itself, known for its distinct mole xiqueño (a particularly sweet variation of the Mexican sauce), tamales canarios (a dessert tamal made from rice flour and milk) and the nearby Texolo Falls, (a popular site where Hollywood scenes have often been filmed).

Xico is a place I’ve often visited growing up, where my family would frequently take day trips to explore. And, yet, while only being a short drive away from my parents’ hometown in Xalapa, I’ve never once attended the Xiqueñada — an annual celebration in honor of Saint  Mary  Magdalena — which draws thousands of visitors to the small town every July, particularly for its amateur bull capea, an event where amateurs can dodge and otherwise interact with young bulls in a controlled environment.

For the 50th anniversary of the event, I finally made it to Xico for the raucous weeks-long tradition.

The celebration for Santa María Magdalena is one of the oldest in the state, believed to have originated in 1853. The Xiqueñada, which involves a street capea in the morning and bullfight in the evening, dates back to 1975. 

During this multiweek festival, altars are built inside of homes with traditional offerings and music. Of course, regional favorites like mora (fermented berry wine) and pan de huevo (egg-brushed, sweet bread rolls) are hawked on every corner and from every window.

The Mardi Gras-esque party lasts for many days and occurs throughout the pueblo’s historic, narrow roads, elaborately interconnected with parades, outdoor drinking, carnival rides, street food, floral adornments, music, family activities and most famously, bulls loosed upon the main avenue. Over the years, more humanitarian precautions have been enacted to protect the bulls from harm, but it still remains a controversial aspect of the festival. 

The party rages from day until night, with most of the action centered near Parque Xico, in front of the Church of Santa María Magdalena. You’ll get your share of steps while traversing the small town’s restaurants, taquerias, artisan shops and local squares, which are all mostly clustered along Hidalgo, the main strip.

It all ends with a local version of bullfighting, a tradition brought over by the Spaniards in the 16th century. In total, 18 bulls are transported into the town’s center inside small shipping containers. The main street that leads in and out of town is sectioned off with steel gates into three multiblock stretches lined with spectators, who watch from makeshift bleachers built the day before. In order to sit, you must pay a fee to the restaurant or small business you are seated in front of, which will likely offer drinks, snacks and, in some cases, entire meals for an extra charge.

For those opposed to the bull event, the celebrations are so much more than that; the majority of days leading up to it are filled with arts of a bohemian, communal nature and are especially family-friendly to attend.

The festival happens in phases, with most events largely centered on decorative costumes, on La Xiqueña — a local mythical figure who is revered — and on St. Mary Magdelene, whose statue is carried around town. Daily processions with live bands and colorful outfits — featuring a mixture of both Indigenous and Spanish influences — sweep the streets, though beware: Road closures make for difficult mobility, so plan to park your vehicle well in advance or take public transportation from a larger city.

One particular highlight is the series of “tapetes” — kilometers-long works of art formed with naturally dyed sawdust arranged in intricate shapes and floral patterns to resemble carpets on the principal streets. 

Community members such as Manuel Olivares, a local resident who has been involved with creating designs for over 25 years — since he was a child — spend hours arranging it all as out-of-towners and locals walk along the edges to view the process and end product.

During the nonstop parades, hundreds of children and adults from the town’s various neighborhoods and surrounding areas wear cowbells to help guide the men wearing large bull-shaped contraptions named “toritos” (or “little bulls”), which consist of around 160 fireworks. These get lit in the evenings in a show of flying sparks and dancing street parties. The cowbells, in particular, are said to ward off negative spirits and represent the provincial pride of the people, who in many cases maintain a family lineage of participation.

On the penultimate day, which is when the bulls arrive, I chose to experience it all from inside El Mesón Xiqueño, a spacious restaurant on Hidalgo street, which has been hosting La Xiquenada events for more than 30 years. I went with my family and the environment was, from a consumer perspective, enjoyable and comfortable for us all. 

To understand the event, it’s important to note that it’s one of the town’s most attended — and economically profitable — days for local foodmakers, business owners and artisans. When I was a child, my mom — a Xalapeña herself — would often attend the event and come back with various memorabilia. In that sense, the event has a certain lore for the people in this sector of Veracruz.

All that doesn’t dismiss the concerns over animal rights violations; it’s simply to say that in this part of the state, it’s a way of life for many, an entire economy unto itself and a rite of passage for certain participants.

Inside the restaurant, you don’t see much. From a nearby speaker out front, a lively emcee narrates as men from the town dodge the bulls. These men mostly consist of a group that takes it seriously, although there are, of course, others who are more reckless in their approach. 

No weapons, objects or harassment of the bulls are allowed — at one point, a young man threw his empty beer can at a bull and was vigorously booed by the crowd and ejected. Throughout this three-hour event, which begins around noon, more and more locals jump into the fray, some wearing bull horns and waving large red cloths to distract the bulls in order to dodge head-on charges. 

It’s surreal to witness, as crowds cheer for the pueblo’s best “torreros” who dance and twirl their way out of danger; nearby, professional bull wranglers watch on in case of any serious injuries. I saw a few men get trampled, and one needed to be carted off but appeared to be fine. 

At times, the bulls appeared unconcerned, if not uninterested, while at others, they forcefully bulldozed their way down the cobblestoned paths. Eventually, they are returned to the gated storage from which they emerged, and the streets are reopened for the festival to resume.

Later in the evening, the event officially concludes with bullfighters from various around the world. Although Mexico City recently banned bullfighting (instead opting for bloodless bullfighting rules), the sport still goes on in a few parts of Mexico, particularly in regions where it’s a proud, ongoing tradition. I chose not to attend this portion, which takes place at nearby Plaza de Toros Alberto Balderas.

Overall, the festival felt overwhelmingly local and inviting — a stranger offered to pour mora into my and my family member’s mouths from a horn-shaped flask simply for cheering him on while he was in mid pour himself. It felt largely family-oriented, with children and grandparents alike enjoying it all. I met a few artists, learned about local culinary traditions I’d never known, and appreciated the parochial energy of the Pueblo Mágico and its people. 

One of Xico’s biggest charms is its Old World aura of a town founded in 1313 that has remained relatively stuck in time. Mexico is filled with such wonders — but rarely are they tucked away in the endlessly green mountains of Veracruz. Even rarer? That they have La Xiqueñada. 

It is ethically complicated because of the bulls, but it is still worthwhile to witness  these regional customs and see how people embrace their forms of entertainment and community differently than we might be accustomed elsewhere. 

Xico is, indeed, magical — in more ways than one.

The post La Xiqueñada: A first-timer’s guide to Xico’s raucous weeks-long festival appeared first on Mexico News Daily

The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) on Wednesday formally requested that the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) investigate López, currently a Morena party senator, for criminal association while also demanding that he resign from office.

The accusation stems from López’s relationship with Hernán Bermúdez, the former state security minister of Tabasco. Bermúdez, who is under investigation for ties to organized crime, fled Mexico in January.

As governor of Tabasco, López selected Bermúdez to be the state’s top cop, although the latter had been jailed for 11 days in 2006 while being investigated for murder. The pair is said to have a relationship dating back more than 30 years.

López has not spoken publicly about the scandal, limiting his comments to a July 18 post on X in which he said he was willing to submit to questioning if so required.

Bermúdez allegedly used his position as security minister to establish ties with the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and oversee an extortion racket and fuel-theft ring in Tabasco.

López also faces allegations that, in his capacity as notary public, he helped Bermúdez and his brother set up shell companies utilized to carry out these illegal activities as well as earn millions in state-issued contracts.

Bermúdez remained in charge of the Tabasco Security Ministry after López left the governor’s mansion to become interior minister in 2021, finally stepping aside late last year. He reportedly fled the country in January, just two weeks before an arrest warrant was issued.

Word of the arrest warrant was confirmed in mid-July by Gen. Miguel Ángel López, who said Bermúdez was identified as the leader of the criminal gang known as “La Barredora.” Gen. López said that Interpol has issued a “red notice,” alerting police worldwide that Bermúdez is a fugitive.

Shortly after taking office in October 2024, Tabasco Gov. Javier May identified Bermúdez as the leader of La Barredora. May, a member of Morena, also criticized his predecessors, including López, saying they needed to answer questions about their knowledge of Bermúdez’s activities.

Leaked intelligence reports suggest that federal authorities knew of Bermúdez’s links to La Barredora as far back as 2020 and then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador reportedly ordered an investigation into Bermúdez’s illicit activities in 2021.

PRI Senator Alejandro Moreno submitted the motion to force López to resign. It was the third time the opposition has sought to open debate on the scandal, but members of the ruling party Morena have repeatedly blocked the topic from being placed on the legislative docket.

Morena lawmakers closed ranks around López on Wednesday, insisting there is no legal foundation for López to resign. “There is no formal investigation of López and the accusations are nothing more than a media-driven smear campaign,” said Morena Senator Imelda Castro.

In its petition to have López removed from office, the PRI cited Senate regulations that define honorability, political responsibility and public ethics as conditions for exercising popular representation.

The PRI party also revealed that it had filed a second complaint with the FGR, requesting an investigation of eight prominent Morena party members, including former President López Obrador, Education Secretary Mario Delgado and five governors. The PRI alleges that the Morena politicians are involved in “a treasonous cover-up of organized crime activities.”

Later Wednesday, the National Action Party (PAN) also demanded a formal investigation into López’s ties to Bermúdez. “This is not an isolated case,” said PAN Senator Ricardo Anaya. “This suggests a pattern of complicity between Morena and organized crime.”

With reports from Animal Político, El País, Milenio, Excelsior and InSight Crime

The post Opposition formally accuses AMLO’s ex-interior minister of ties to Tabasco crime gang appeared first on Mexico News Daily

The co-stars of “Eternals” (a 2021 Marvel Studios superhero film) had earlier been spotted in Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport as they prepared to board the flight to Veracruz.

Sencillas y carismáticas así llegaron las actrices Salma Hayek y Angelina Jolie al aeropuerto de Veracruz donde fueron recibidas por la secretaria de Cultura del estado quien vivió un momento inolvidable ¡Arriba las mujeres! pic.twitter.com/fSfnrFx6C3

— @QuePasaEnNL ®️ (@LoQuePasaEnNL) July 17, 2025

Hayek, a native of Veracruz, and Jolie arrived in Veracruz on a commercial flight and were met at the Heriberto Jara Corona International Airport by Xóchitl Molina, the state’s minister of culture, and members of the Tourism Ministry.

Their arrival was immediately made public after a video of the celebrities being greeted by Molina was posted on social media.

Molina accompanied the actresses to a hotel in Boca del Río, a tony municipality just south of the port of Veracruz.

Adding to the mystery, a few hours later Veracruz Governor Rocío Nahle paid a visit to Hayek and Jolie. As she was leaving the hotel, Nahle declined to share any details with reporters who had gathered outside the lobby, saying “Veracruz is fashionable nowadays.”

In a video of the impromptu inteview shared on X, Nahle ignored questions about the possibility of Hayek and Jolie making a film in Veracruz, simply saying, “I only stopped by to say hello.”

Last year, Hayek starred alongside Mexican actor Demián Bichir in “Without Blood,” a war drama film written and directed by Jolie.

Hayek, 58, was born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, about 300 kilometers southeast of Boca del Río. Her family still maintains business interests in the region.

With reports from La Jornada, Milenio and Infobae

The post Here’s what we know about Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek’s meeting with the governor of Veracruz appeared first on Mexico News Daily

This “Chocolate de Bienestar” is part of the  government’s “Food for Well-Being” strategy, which aims to bring nutritious and affordable food options to consumers while supporting national producers, particularly those in the southern states of Tabasco and Chiapas — a region that has historically lagged behind other regions in several social and economic indicators. 

Les comparto la cápsula que presentamos en la #MañaneraDelPueblo junto a nuestra presidenta @Claudiashein sobre nuestro #ChocolateBienestar y el origen de su ingrediente principal: el cacao. Gracias al trabajo de las y los cacaoteros de Tabasco y el norte de Chiapas,… pic.twitter.com/Q90xRG5XPS

— María Luisa Albores González (@Mary_Luisa_AG) July 10, 2025

“Thanks to the efforts of cacao farmers in Tabasco and northern Chiapas, participants in the #SembrandoVida program, we’re now able to bring nutritious, affordable food with a deep social foundation to communities throughout Mexico,” head of Food for Well-Being María Luisa Albores wrote in her official X account.

Now one of those affordable foods will be chocolate, a favorite in Mexico since the time of the Aztecs, when it was so highly prized that its consumption is thought to have been reserved for the upper and priestly classes. Now it will be available to the general public in a presentation both more affordable and, allegedly, healthier than the commercial offerings.

Studies have shown that chocolate improves cardiovascular health via its antioxidants, provides energy, helps control blood pressure, improves cognitive capacity, satisfies hunger and lifts mood.  

Albores adds that Wellness Chocolate is also a bone-supporting source of vitamins and minerals.

The down side is that the cacao bean from which chocolate is made is naturally bitter, prompting most commercial brands to include vast amounts of sugar. The Wellness Chocolate attempts to minimize that problem by striking a suppposedly healthier balance between natural cane sugar and the cacao itself. For example, the Wellness Chocolate in bar form uses 50% cacao and 35% sugar, which puts it in the “semi-dark” category with a relatively low fat content.

Still, the packaging dutifully includes warning labels for excess sugar, calories and saturated fats.

Albores revealed that the Wellness Chocolate will be available for purchase at the more than 25,000 Wellness Stores across the county, with its distribution occurring in stages. 

“We will reach all of our stores,” she said. “We’re planning a three-month project to ensure that we can deliver these products directly from the countryside of Chiapas and Tabasco to consumers across the country.”

According to the government, the chocolate will be available in three presentations: 

1. Chocolate bar containing 50% cacao, and priced at 14 pesos (less than one dollar).
2. Powdered chocolate with 30% cocoa, priced at 38 pesos (US $2)
3. Chocolate de mesa or tablet chocolate, with 35% cacao, priced at 96 pesos (US $5)

With reports from Expansión and El País

The post Government ‘Wellness Chocolate’ is coming soon to a store near you appeared first on Mexico News Daily

At 9 a.m. on Monday, Flossie was centered about 160 miles (255 kilometers) south of Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and was moving northwest at 10 mph (16 kph). It is not forecast to make landfall in Mexico but will cause significant rainfall in Michoacán and Colima. 

Seguimos muy pendientes del desarrollo de la tormenta tropical #Flossie De acuerdo con el último informe de la @conagua_mx, el centro de este sistema se encuentra a 280 km al sur de Zihuatanejo y continúa desplazándose hacia el noroeste, provocando lluvias torrenciales en… pic.twitter.com/GWjzFNqAMg

— Evelyn Salgado Pineda (@EvelynSalgadoP) June 30, 2025

Mexico’s National Meteorological Service issued a Tropical Storm Warning for Mexico’s west coast from Punta San Telmo, Michoacán, to Playa Perula, Jalisco, just north of Manzanillo, Colima, the country’s biggest Pacific coast port.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, northeast of Punta San Telmo and from Cabo Corrientes, Jalisco, south to Playa Perula.

The states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Guerrero and Oaxaca can also expect intense rains.

Tropical Storm Barry made landfall just south of Tampico, Tamaulipas, early Monday as a but quickly dissipated. 

The remnants of the storm are expected to produce rainfall totals of 8 to 13 cm across portions of the states of San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas through today, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported. With possible isolated maximum totals of 20 inches, this rainfall may produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, the NHC said, especially in areas of steep terrain.

30/06/2025
06:15 horas

#Barry se disipó a las 03:00 horas de hoy a unos 160 km al noroeste de #Tampico. Sin embargo, se espera que, en las próximas 24h sus remanentes continúen ocasionando lluvias fuertes en #Tamaulipas, #SanLuisPotosí y el norte y montañas de #Veracruz. pic.twitter.com/JtSPCaWKSD

— Meteorología SPCVer (@spcver_met) June 30, 2025

Barry formed on Sunday and was the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which started on June 1 and runs through Nov. 30. 

Andrea, the first named tropical storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, dissipated on June 24 just hours after forming in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean earlier that morning, the NHC said.

Forecasters expect 2025 to be an above-average season in the Atlantic, with 13 to 19 named storms. Last year, there were 18 named storms, 11 of which became hurricanes and five of those became “major” hurricanes (Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir–Simpson scale).

The Eastern Pacific hurricane season began on May 15 and has featured five tropical storms already, including Erick, which hit Mexico’s West Coast as a Category 3 hurricane.

With reports from The Associated Press, N+, El Economista, The New York Times and El Universal 

The post Flossie expected to become a hurricane as Barry drenches Gulf states appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Festivities are beginning Thursday at 5:30 p.m. with the Children’s Parade along the waterfront in the city of Veracruz, followed by the symbolic Burning of Bad Humor at 8:30 p.m. in the city’s Zócalo, aka Plaza de las Armas.

The highly anticipated event, which marked its 100th anniversary last year, always opens with the burning of a figure symbolizing misfortune, “to eliminate negativity and welcome the celebration with renewed joy and a positive attitude.”

The Veracruz Carnival is said to be the second largest in Mexico behind Mazatlán.

Running through July 2, this year’s version will see major adjustments after authorities moved all large-scale concerts from the open-air Malecón Macroplaza in Veracruz city to the World Trade Center about 10 kilometers away in Boca del Río.

“For security and logistical reasons, the stage set up in the Malecón’s Macroplaza began to be removed Tuesday morning,” Mayor Patricia Lobeira announced this week. “Now, large-scale events will be moved to the [World Trade Center], a covered space that will allow the festivities to continue despite the weather,” Mayor Patricia Lobeira announced.

After today, all parades will start at 5:00 p.m. — one hour earlier than originally planned — to avoid evening storms.

The coastal region of Veracruz, including the city of Veracruz, has experienced significantly above-average rainfall for June — including more than 300 millimeters (about 12 inches) of rain over a recent seven-day period, making it one of the wettest areas in Mexico in that span.

Friday’s schedule includes the coronation of Queen Adriana Fonseca and the Royal Court, followed by the festival’s first concert, by Juan Luis Guerra at the World Trade Center. Guerra, a Dominican renowned for popularizing merengue and bachata worldwide, has three Grammy Awards and 28 Latin Grammys, making him one of the most awarded and best-selling Latin artists of all time.

The other major concerts will be performed by Latin pop and reggaeton star Manuel Turizo of  Colombia on Saturday, and Los Ángeles Azules, a Mexican musical group known for its romantic cumbia songs on Sunday.

Admission to the concerts is free, but with a capacity of 10,640 at the World Trade Center, only those with access wristbands will be admitted, according to the mayor.

But then again, he added, “Even if you don’t have a wristband, you can get in; they’re free concerts.”

Starting on Saturday, there will be four major parades over four days.

The list of grand marshals includes Peruvian-Italian reality star and former footballer Nicola Porcella, Mexican influencer Paolita Suárez, and Venezuelan actor and singer Daniel Elbittar.

The charismatic Porcella achieved widespread fame in Latin America as “El Novio de México” due to his participation and second-place finish on the hit reality show “La casa de los famosos México.”

There will also be music and entertainment at alternate venues such as Zamora Park and Álvaro Obregón Park before the festival concludes on Wednesday with the annual “Burial of Juan Carnaval.”

The Veracruz Carnival, which went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, claims an “uninterrupted” annual history that now dates back 101 years.

In 2022, the festival was switched to the early summer from its traditional dates in February — 40 days before Semana Santa, the week leading up to Easter — to generate better attendance.

City officials, business leaders and organizers have voiced support for a return to February, which is expected to occur in 2026.

With reports from Imagen del Veracruz, El Sol de México and UnoTV

The post Rain fails to dampen spirits as Carnival kicks off in Veracruz appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Here is a recap of the president’s June 19 mañanera.

Elon Musk’s space debris washes up in Tamaulipas

A reporter from Grupo Milenio noted that the Milenio newspaper published a report on Thursday about space debris that was found on Playa Bagdad, a beach in Tamaulipas just south of the border with Texas and the SpaceX Starbase rocket launch facility.

The Milenio article was published under the headline “Musk’s space debris places at risk the lives of animals and people in the north of Tamaulipas.”

In the article, Milenio reported that a metal tank was found on Playa Bagdad, adding that the device was “preliminarily identified” as a “pressurized tank with phosphorous remains.”

The newspaper said that the tank was part of the Super Heavy launch vehicle of the SpaceX Starship. SpaceX is majority-owned by Elon Musk, the company’s founder and CEO.

#OchoColumnas | Basura espacial de Musk pone en riesgo la vida de animales y personas… y le explota otro cohete

La inhalación o ingestión de este químico puede afectar órganos internos, en particular el hígado, los riñones y el sistema nervioso.https://t.co/Tlz8tCCXYX

— Milenio (@Milenio) June 19, 2025

“The phosphorous contained in the tank located in the Playa Bagdad area — especially in its white form — is highly reactive upon contact with oxygen and can cause severe skin injuries and represents an environmental risk,” Milenio reported.

“The inhalation or ingestion of this chemical can affect internal organs, particularly the liver, the kidneys and the nervous system. Even small quantities can be lethal if they enter the body. In addition, if it is not managed correctly, phosphorous can contaminate bodies of water and affect marine animals. Its degradation in natural environments is slow and dangerous,” Milenio said.

The tank, Milenio said, “has not been the only discovery” on the coast of northern Tamaulipas in recent weeks.

“In the past four weeks, hundreds of metal and plastic remains of various sizes have been swept by the tide from the Gulf of Mexico to the coast, after the ninth launch test of Musk’s aerospace company,” the newspaper said, referring to Starship’s test flight on May 27.

The “failure” of that test flight “has placed ecological balance at risk, threatening the lives of animal species and also people,” Milenio said.

Sheinbaum said she had seen the newspaper’s report.

“This morning I asked if it could be reviewed by the [government’s] Digital Agency,” she said, noting that the agency has responsibility for certain aerospace and telecommunications matters.

Sheinbaum said that the Environment Ministry and other ministries would also investigate.

She said that her government would report back when it was in a position to do so.

Mexico wants to sign a ‘global agreement’ with US ‘very soon’

Sheinbaum reiterated that she had a “very good” call with United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday while she was at the G7 Summit in Canada, which Trump left earlier than expected.

She also noted once again that she and Trump had agreed in principle on a “global agreement” between Mexico and the United States that covers migration, security and trade.

Sheinbaum spoke about the planned pact on Wednesday, although she referred to it as a “general agreement,” rather than a “global” one.

On Thursday, she said that “our objective” is for the agreement to be signed “very soon.”

“… It has to be soon,” she said before indicating that she was seeking the finalization of an agreement in coming months.

Sheinbaum didn’t say whether her government would insist on the removal of tariffs on Mexican steel, aluminum and cars as part of a “global agreement” between Mexico and the U.S., but it would be logical for it to do so.

‘I’m proud to represent Mexico’

A reporter asked the president what “emotions” she experienced while interacting with other world leaders at this week’s G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.

“I think that the most important thing is to know that you’re representing Mexico,” Sheinbaum responded.

“This is not a personal issue. If you think it’s a personal issue, you have your head in the clouds,” she said.

“The most important thing here is that the president of Mexico represents our people, our culture, our history, our nation, our homeland and for that reason you have to be very proud,” Sheinbaum said.

“So I’m proud to represent Mexico. … The important thing is to hold Mexico’s name up high, always,” she said.

“So it’s not a personal issue, it’s the pride of representing our homeland, Sheinbaum said.

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

The post What to do about toxic SpaceX debris washing ashore in Tamaulipas: Thursday’s mañanera recapped appeared first on Mexico News Daily

“As a result of field intelligence work and reconnaissance flights, a clandestine operation to produce artisanal or alternative diesel, light naphtha or solvents and treated oils or light fuel, was identified in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz,” García Harfuch said on the X social media site.

Derivado de labores de inteligencia de campo y vuelos de reconocimiento, se identificó una operación clandestina, ubicada en Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, para producir diésel artesanal o alternativo, nafta ligera o solventes y aceites tratados o combustóleo ligero, que operaba sin… pic.twitter.com/kUASRb7SoM

— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) June 18, 2025

He said that the facility was operating “without the appropriate permits and represented a risk to local ecosystems.”

García Harfuch said that federal authorities including the Army (Defensa), Navy (SEMAR), National Guard and state oil company Pemex executed a search warrant at the illegal refinery.

“More than 500,000 liters of crude as well as infrastructure for production destined for the illegal fuel market was recovered,” he wrote on X.

In a joint statement, the federal Security Ministry, the National Guard, the Federal Attorney General’s Office, Defensa and SEMAR said that the facility in Coatzacoalcos was used as “a small-scale refinery” and had “equipment to separate fuels” and “pipes for their transport.”

The authorities said that “seven large capacity mobile tanks” and “four vertical tanks” were found at the clandestine refinery.

They said that the facility formerly treated industrial waste, but was subsequently used for the “illegal processing of hydrocarbons.”

The authorities said that further investigations into the operation of the illegal refinery will take place. They said the facility was cordoned off and is under police guard.

No arrests were reported in connection with the detection and search of the illegal refinery.

Criminal cells of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the Gulf Cartel and other organized crime groups operate in the area where the facility is located, the Reforma newspaper reported. Cartels have been involved in fuel theft — colloquially known in Mexico as huachicoleo — for years. The crime — often committed by tapping fuel pipelines — costs Pemex hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Coatzacoalcos is located on the Gulf of Mexico, where most of Mexico’s crude comes from. One of Pemex’s seven refineries in Mexico is located 25 kilometers inland in the city of Minatitlán.

1.2 million liters of stolen fuel seized in Nuevo León

García Harfuch also reported on Wednesday that authorities had seized 1.2 million liters of fuel in the northern state of Nuevo León.

“In following up on actions to prevent the theft of fuel in the country,” federal and state authorities “executed a search warrant in the municipality of Allende, Nuevo León, where they secured 1.2 million liters of hydrocarbons as well as tanker trucks and containers,” he wrote on X.

Federal authorities said in a statement that investigative work led to the detection of a property in Allende that was used to store fuel of “illicit origin.”

They said the property posed a risk to the local population as it wasn’t operating with “appropriate safety measures.”

The property was also cordoned off and place under police guard. No arrests were reported.

With reports from Reforma and El Financiero

The post Security forces shut down clandestine oil refinery in Veracruz appeared first on Mexico News Daily

In December 2024, the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) announced plans to develop a 14,700-square-meter Olmec museum, choosing the underused grounds of the zoo in the Tomás Garrido Park in Villahermosa as the development site.

#LoÚltimo Un grupo de ciudadanos, se reúnen en el Parque Tomás Garrido para llevar a cabo una Asamblea Ciudadana en Defensa del Parque Museo La Venta, los activistas insisten en que de construirse el proyecto del nuevo Museo Nacional Olmeca, en esta zona, se afectará el medio… pic.twitter.com/XCSHxNNYD4

— xevt – xhvt (@xevtfm) June 14, 2025

The park, created by the Tabasco poet Carlos Pellicer Cámara to be a harmonious space where culture and nature meet, was inaugurated in 1958 and has since been considered the “green lung” of the city.

The seven-hectare park houses 33 Olmec monuments, including altars, stelae, colossal heads and monoliths dating from between 1300 and 200 BCE, most of which were moved to Villahermosa in the 1950s from the nearby ancient pre-Hispanic city of La Venta. 

The proposed National Olmec Museum, designed by architect Enrique Norten, is meant to house those artefacts, protecting them from the elements. The museum’s structure would also include workshops, storage rooms, laboratories and a temporary exhibition hall. 

But the rainforest park is also home to trees such as the cedar, royal palm, ceiba and flamboyant, as well as flowering plants such as orchids and bromeliads. The thousands of residents in Villahermosa who are protesting the development are concerned that the museum’s construction would endanger those species. 

A petition posted on Change.org, titled “Demand the Cancelation of the National Olmec Museum,” has collected nearly 60,000 signatures. In addition, hundreds of people marched across the city in protest of the development earlier this month, while others took to social media to voice their opposition. 

“The proposal to build the National Olmec Museum on park land is a threat that could destroy hundreds of endemic tree species and, consequently, cause an irreparable loss of biodiversity in our city,” the petition’s creator, Luis Felipe Cornelio Priego, said. “Furthermore, this project threatens the work and vision of the prestigious poet Carlos Pellicer Cámara.”

INAH Director General Diego Prieto said the plan for the museum arose following a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommendation to relocate the pre-Columbian artefacts to protect them from rain and high temperatures. Prieto said that the museum would house the original artefacts to protect them from deterioration, while replicas would be made for Tomás Garrido Park.

INAH delegate in Tabasco Carlos Arturo Giordano added that the National Olmec Museum would be the first national museum to be constructed outside of Mexico City, giving “first-world relevance to the place where it is being built.”

Authorities have also previously stated that the project complies with the current environmental regulations.  

Nevertheless, opponents argue that there are several alternative spaces, such as abandoned buildings, that would be suitable to house the museum without harming the park.  

Following recent protests, Tabasco Governor Javier May Rodríguez said a public consultation would be held to decide the future of the project. 

With reports from El Financiero, Excelsior and Infobae

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According to the Local Public Electoral Body of the State of Veracruz (OPLE) the official vote count that began on Monday revealed inconsistencies with the number of votes counted in the authorized municipal councils. Furthermore, intermittent periods when the server was unavailable forced many staff members to resubmit information, ultimately resulting in duplicates. The system barely functioned properly for an hour.

“In order to provide certainty and transparency to the results,” the OPLE said in a statement on Tuesday, the vote count will be restarted “no later than June 13.” 

OPLE head Marisol Delgadillo said the problems have not affected the validity of the ballots, which will now be processed manually under the “vote by vote, polling station by polling station” system. There are 27 authorized municipal councils and more than 3,000 accredited observers who will be able to monitor the counting process. 

Issues have also been reported in the mayoral elections. The national leader of the Movimiento Ciudadano party, Jorge Álvarez Máynez, who pulled off a major upset with a victory in 40 municipal seats, has reported irregularities in the vote count in Poza Rica and Papantla.

Some judicial candidates, such as Rosalba Hernández, who was leading the race to preside over the state’s Superior Court of Justice when the system collapsed, have expressed distrust over the possibility that these failures in the vote-count could ultimately manipulate or distort results. 

Beyond the irregularities, the election in Veracruz has been troubled from the start. The lead-up to voting day was marked by an escalation of violence. 

According to data from the Votar Entre Balas (Voting Between Bullets) observatory, Veracruz recorded 32 violent incidents during the electoral process, 17 of which were directed against pre-candidates or candidates, representing 53.1% of the total.

The violent events included the murder of Morena and Green Party mayoral candidate Yesenia Lara Gutiérrez and three of her supporters during a campaign event in Texistepec, a town and municipality in the south of Veracruz. Twelve days earlier, Germán Anuar Valencia, Morena’s mayoral candidate in the northern Veracruz municipality of Coxquihui, was shot dead.

With reports from El País and El Economista

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