Here is a recap of the president’s Aug. 6 mañanera.

‘We’re against the death penalty’ 

A reporter noted that prosecutors in the United States won’t seek the death penalty in their cases against the “Mexican capos” Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Rafael Caro Quintero.

Zambada was arrested in the United States in July 2024 after he was allegedly kidnapped in Sinaloa and forced onto a U.S.-bound private plane, while Caro Quintero is one of 29 cartel figures who were extradited to the U.S. in February.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to accusations they face in the United States. The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that it was “unclear whether taking the death penalty off the table signals any possibility of a plea deal with either or both men.”

The aforesaid reporter asked Sheinbaum her opinion on the matter, saying that the decision not to seek the death penalty in cases against Zambada and Caro Quintero could mean that the two men are coming to some kind of agreement with authorities in the United States.

“We’re against the death penalty, no matter the crime,” the president responded. “It’s not something we agree with.”

Sheinbaum stressed that opposition to the death penalty is “part of Mexican policy” and not a “personal issue.”

She said that in “all” of Mexico’s extradition treaties, “reciprocity” with Mexican laws is established, meaning that Mexicans sent abroad can’t be subject to the death penalty even if the country they are extradited to allows capital punishment.

“So when … [Mexicans] are extradited, there is no death penalty,” Sheinbaum said.

In all cases when Mexicans face criminal charges abroad, “what Mexico seeks is reciprocity with our laws,” she said.

“It has nothing to do with the person or the criminal, but rather with the fact that we don’t agree with the death penalty,” Sheinbaum said.

Sentences in US against men convicted of trafficking weapons to Mexico a ‘good sign,’ says Sheinbaum 

A reporter noted that six people were recently sentenced in the United States for trafficking weapons to Mexico, and highlighted that U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson commented on the case.

The United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida announced on Friday that six men had been sentenced for trafficking military-grade firearms to Mexican drug cartels. The sentences range from 1.5 to nine years in federal prison.

In a post to social media on Monday, Johnson said that “the case of six Florida men sentenced for trafficking military-grade firearms to Mexican cartels reaffirms [the United States’] commitment to stopping the flow of illegal weapons into [Mexico].”

El caso de los seis hombres en Florida que fueron sentenciados por traficar armas de grado militar a cárteles mexicanos reafirma el compromiso de para frenar el flujo de armas ilegales hacia . Seguiremos colaborando, bajo el liderazgo de @POTUS @realDonaldTrump, con la…

— Embajador Ronald Johnson (@USAmbMex) August 4, 2025

“Under the leadership of @POTUS @realDonaldTrump, we will continue working with President @ClaudiaShein and her team to dismantle these networks,” the ambassador wrote.

Sheinbaum was asked whether the sentences indicated that the United States government is “paying attention to the demands” of the Mexican government, which has long called on the U.S. to do more to stop the southward flow of firearms.

“Yes,” she responded.

“Of course, we’re going to continue insisting that … [they do] even more, but it’s a good sign that people have been arrested [in the U.S.] for arms trafficking,” Sheinbaum said.

She said that in conversations with U.S. officials, including Ambassador Johnson, Mexican officials have “always” advocated in favor of the U.S. taking action to prevent the trafficking of weapons to Mexico.

Many of the firearms that are smuggled into the country end up in the hands of members of organized crime groups. Those weapons are commonly used to commit serious crimes in Mexico, including murder.

New ‘border unit’ established in Sonora 

In another social media post on Monday, Ambassador Johnson said that “the new Border Unit in Sonora is a concrete step to stop the flow of illicit drugs, weapons, and people, while boosting trade and community ties.”

“A secure border benefits both countries — creating an environment where citizens can prosper. Border security is a shared priority — driven by the leadership of @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and President @ClaudiaShein,” he wrote.

Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo said on Friday that 18 state police officers who are part of the new unit had completed “specialized training” with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Como parte de la nueva División de Operaciones Fronterizas, hoy 18 elementos de la Policía Estatal concluyeron su capacitación especializada con la CBP de Estados Unidos.

Un esfuerzo binacional que refuerza nuestra presencia institucional en la frontera, con profesionalismo y… pic.twitter.com/VPxiCD2fsR

— Alfonso Durazo (@AlfonsoDurazo) August 1, 2025

Sheinbaum said that the establishment of the new border unit is “part of the agreements” between Mexican and U.S. authorities. The neighboring countries are expected to sign a new security pact soon.

Sheinbaum highlighted that Mexican states have their own agreements with U.S. authorities. She told reporters that Baja California has an agreement with the CBP and that Sonora “also has agreements” that involve the sharing of information with U.S. authorities.

“If there is a criminal who crosses the border from the other side, you obviously have to have information,” Sheinbaum said.

“…. Now that there is the presence of the United States army on the border, there has to be communication,” she said.

“There is communication between the National Immigration Institute and CBP, and there is communication between [Mexican] Customs and CBP as well. There is communication between the governors of [border states] and their counterparts,” said Sheinbaum, who noted that Mexico also collaborates with Guatemala on security issues at their shared border.

“Due to the entry of police from Chiapas to Guatemala, a meeting was held, agreements were formalized and now there is more collaboration,” she said.

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

The post New Sonora ‘border unit’ to focus on arms, drug trafficking: Wednesday’s mañanera recapped appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Ernesto Cuitláhuac Vázquez Reyna came under attack on Monday evening while traveling alone in a black Cadillac SUV on the Miguel Hidalgo Boulevard in Reynosa.

Attackers reportedly threw a grenade at his vehicle, causing it to catch fire.

Video footage indicates that Vázquez, apparently injured, subsequently got out of his vehicle and sat, or slumped, down next to its rear left wheel.

As smoke emanated from the vehicle, a gray SUV pulled up behind it and gunshots subsequently rang out. Video footage also shows a man dragging Vázquez’s body away from his vehicle, which was engulfed in flames at the time.

The newspaper La Jornada reported that the attack occurred near the FGR delegate’s office in Reynosa, located opposite the city of Hidalgo, Texas.

La Jornada also reported that gunmen “simultaneously blocked streets and avenues” in Reynosa and stole vehicles from “civilians unconnected to the events.”

The attackers were not immediately identified and no arrests in connection with the murder were reported. The Gulf Cartel and the Northeast Cartel are among the criminal groups that operate in Tamaulipas.

The Tamaulipas Attorney General’s Office said on social media that it “established coordination” with the FGR “to collaborate on the investigations into the events in which a person presumed to be a federal public servant lost his life.”

Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villareal condemned the crime against the FGR delegate, which occurred during rush hour in Reynosa.

“We stand in solidarity with his family and reiterate our complete willingness to cooperate with the Attorney General’s Office and the government of Mexico in the quest for justice and the construction of peace,” he wrote on X.

On Tuesday morning, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that the federal government’s security cabinet had been in contact with the Tamaulipas Attorney General’s Office and the FGR, and was supporting the efforts to “achieve justice in this case.”

Sheinbaum confirma que el Gabinete de Seguridad dará más información sobre el caso del delegado de la FGR, Ernesto Vázquez, que fue asesinado en Tamaulipas. pic.twitter.com/AwQhjCoU28

— La Silla Rota (@lasillarota) August 5, 2025

Tamaulipas is known for violent, cartel-related crime, but the security situation in the state has improved in recent years.

In the first half of 2025, there were 110 homicides in the state, according to federal data.

In terms of total murders, Tamaulipas ranked as the 10th least violent state out of Mexico’s 32 federal entities between January and June.

The victim

Vázquez had been the FGR delegate in Tamaulipas since 2019, according to media reports.

His work focused on investigating and prosecuting federal crimes in Tamaulipas and coordinating the FGR’s activities in the state, the news outlet N+ reported.

In Tamaulipas, Vázquez Reyna “coordinated and supervised” investigations into organized crime activity, electoral crimes, drug trafficking and other federal offenses, N+ said.

He also represented the FGR in legal cases related to federal crimes committed in the northern border state.

The news outlet Infobae reported that Vázquez wasn’t widely known outside security and justice circles. “However, his name appeared repeatedly in public activities related to the institutional relationship between the three levels of government,” Infobae said.

The newspaper Milenio reported that Vázquez attended a ceremony with the Tamaulipas governor on July 22 after the FGR donated a helicopter to state authorities to assist their security work.

Milenio also reported that the FGR carried out an operation in Reynosa on July 26 that resulted in the seizure of more than 1.8 million liters of fuel.

With reports from La Jornada, Reforma, Milenio, N+, and Infobae

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Contract bidding for three other tranches and the provision of more than 60 trains is well advanced, and studies are underway for new lines connection to Guadalajara, San Luis Potosí, Mazatlán and more.

Sheinbaum opened her Wednesday morning press conference by introducing the three men responsible for meeting an ambitious goal: that of building more than 3,000 kilometers of railway track for passenger trains before her term ends in 2030.

Andrés Lajous, director of Mexico’s Rail Transport Regulatory Agency (ARTF), provided a brief update on progress on the Mexico City-Querétaro and Mexico City-Pachuca lines, before turning his attention to the Querétaro-Irapuato line, construction of which is expected to begin this month.

Lajous said the Querétaro-Irapuato line will be built in two sections: from Querétaro to Apaseo el Grande (a distance of 33 km) and from Apaseo el Grande to Irapuato (78 km). Construction contracts will be announced in mid-August and October respectively.

The Mexico City-Querétaro and Querétaro-Irapuato lines are tranches of the Mexico City-Guadalajara-Nogales line that aims to serve 6 million passengers a year upon completion.

Another section of track that could see construction begin this month is the Unión San Javier to Arroyo El Sauz tranche of the Saltillo-Monterrey-Nuevo Laredo train. The winning bid for this 100-kilometer section in the northern state of Nuevo León will be announced this month.

With regards to the remainder of the Saltillo-to-Nuevo Laredo line, the Saltillo-Santa Catarina section (70 km) tender will be published on Sept. 18 and the Arroyo El Sauz-Nuevo Laredo tranche (133 km) will be determined on Oct. 3.

Larous said that four other lines — Irapuato to Guadalajara; Querétaro to San Luis Potosí; San Luis Potosí to Saltillo and Mazatlán to Los Mochis — are entering the study phase. The call for proposals for environmental assessments was published on Wednesday.

Also this month, the ARTF will award contracts for trains for three lines: Mexico City-Pachuca, Mexico City-Irapuato and Saltillo-Nuevo Laredo.

General Gustavo Ricardo Vallejo, commander of the Army engineers overseeing the construction of the Mexico City-Pachuca line, said construction there will generate more than 60,000 direct and indirect jobs.

“There are already 6,000 people employed in building embankments, compacting track platforms, excavation and pouring of piles and foundation footings,” he said.

Additionally, Vallejo said, the Mexico City-Querétaro job is expected to create employment for roughly 200,000 people. More than 5,000 people have already found jobs on this route.

En la #MañaneraDelPueblo de hoy, con la Presidenta @Claudiashein, compartimos el avance de construcción de los nuevos trenes de pasajeros:

En agosto, inician las obras de las rutas Querétaro-Irapuato y Saltillo Nuevo-Laredo.

Arrancamos los estudios para las nuevas rutas. pic.twitter.com/eG7NTfQUP7

— Andrés Lajous (@andreslajous) July 30, 2025

Sheinbaum interjected that her passenger railway project has two purposes — better communication across the country and economic benefits for the communities along the routes.

“The objective … is to benefit communities during and after construction, not just provide a means of transportation,” she said, adding that another goal is to ensure safe, rapid and high-quality transportation.

Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation Minister Jesús Esteva was also present, but his comments were limited to progress on the Amado Nervo Bridge that will connect the Pacific Coast resort cities of Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit. The bridge is scheduled to be completed in November 2026.

With reports from Infobae and Milenio

The post What’s next for Mexico’s growing rail system? Officials share advances in Nuevo León, Guadalajara, SLP, Sinaloa and more appeared first on Mexico News Daily

Mexico’s Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Mexico City that seeks to address “the sanitation and environmental crisis in the Tijuana–San Diego Region.”

The MOU states that there is a shared desire to “coordinate cross-border solutions that permanently stop untreated wastewater from polluting coastal communities, harming public health, and damaging the environment on both sides of the border.”

The document outlines commitments of both Mexico and the United States that are aimed at achieving those objectives. One of Mexico’s commitments is to allocate US $93 million in 2026 and 2027 to “facilitate completion” of a number of projects to improve the Tijuana sewage system by December 31, 2027, “or sooner.”

The EPA said in a statement that the MOU “achieves the three top Trump Administration priorities and milestones critical to ensuring a 100% solution” to the sewage crisis in the Tijuana-San Diego area.

The agency noted that Mexico will allocate $93 million to sewage system projects and that the timeline for the completion of those projects has been reduced by up to four years in some cases. It also said that “several necessary Mexico side projects have been added to account for future population growth in Tijuana and operation and maintenance costs.”

Zeldin declared that “the Trump Administration is proud to deliver this massive environmental and national security win for Americans in the San Diego area who have been living with this disgusting raw sewage flowing into their communities for far too long.”

He emphasized the need for speed in the completion of projects to solve the sewage crisis, telling reporters “that if any speed changes, that speed will have to be a speed to go faster.”

Earlier this year, Zeldin accused Mexico of being too slow to complete projects it has committed to carrying out in Tijuana, where the population and industry have grown significantly in recent decades and wastewater treatment plants and other sewage infrastructure have become ineffective.

The signing of the MOU came three months after the EPA chief said that Mexico must act to stop the massive flow of sewage and toxic chemicals from the Tijuana River into the Pacific Ocean. 

The sewage has contaminated the coastline of southern California for years, and sickened U.S. Navy seals, Border Patrol agents, beach users and others.

Bárcena said on Thursday that Mexico and the United States are committed to solving the binational sewage problem “once and for all.”

She highlighted that the MOU is “the first binational agreement … between Mexico and the United States under the administration of President Donald Trump and President Claudia Sheinbaum.”

“There is a great commitment on the part of both countries to strengthen cooperation and this is what we’re demonstrating today,” Bárcena said.

The agreement comes at a time when there are range of tensions in the Mexico-United States relationship, including ones related to trade and drug trafficking.

The memorandum in detail 

The MOU states that Mexico “intends to immediately seek internal funding” to initiate construction of two projects in 2025.

One US $13.3-million project will divert 10 million gallons per day of treated effluent to the Rodríguez Dam, located upstream on the Tijuana River.

Another $8.4-million project will rehabilitate the Parallel Gravity Line, a major wastewater pipeline.

Those two projects will be completed by the end of 2025, the EPA said.

The $93 million in funding to be used in 2026 and 2027 is to rehabilitate various sewers in the Tijuana sewage system and to carry out upgrades to the Arturo Herrera and La Morita wastewater treatment plants, among other projects. That money is so-called “Minute 328 funds,” part of a financial commitment Mexico pledged to make in accordance with a 2022 agreement.

Bárcena said that Mexico is also committed to doubling the capacity of the San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant. The Environment Ministry said in a statement that it is “exploring financing alternatives” to achieve that goal, including the possibility of accessing “support” from the EPA “through existing mechanisms at the North American Development Bank.”

Major Milestone Reached! The US & Mexico are collaborating to improve water infrastructure in the Tijuana River watershed. The US will fund key projects, continue expanding the South Bay wastewater plant capacity, and inform Mexico of trash removal expenses. Mexico will… pic.twitter.com/T9nk7WRIuQ

— U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (@usibwc) July 25, 2025

The San Antonio de los Buenos plant “had been spewing at least 23 million gallons of sewage per day (1,000 liters per second) into the Pacific Ocean” before recent repairs, Reuters reported.

Even now, “millions of gallons of treated and untreated sewage from Tijuana’s overburdened [sewage] system makes its way daily into the Tijuana River and reaches the ocean in the San Diego suburb of Imperial Beach,” the news agency said.

Among the United States’ commitments, as detailed in the MOU, is to release EPA Border Water Infrastructure Program funding to complete the rehabilitation of Pump Station 1 in San Diego as well as Tijuana River collection pipes. Pump Station 1 treats sewage pumped in from Tijuana.

The United States also committed to “expand treatment capacity” at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Diego “from 25 to 50 million gallons per day (‘MGD’) by December 2027, with an interim expansion to 35 MGD by August 2025.”

That plant also treats sewage from Tijuana.

The MOU also states that Mexico and the United States “intend to enter into a new Minute by December 31, 2025, or sooner,” that will contain a number of actions to be “executed immediately through existing or new binational workgroups led by the two Sections of IBWC” — the International Boundary and Water Commission.

Among the 13 actions are to:

• Initiate engineering and financial studies to assess the feasibility of installing an ocean outfall at the San Antonio de los Buenos plant in Tijuana.
• Assess the technical and financial feasibility of expanding treatment capacity of the San Antonio de los Buenos plant from 18.26 to 43.37 million gallons per day.
• Develop a routine schedule and cost-sharing formula for cleaning and sediment dredging operations in the Tijuana River.
• Develop a Tijuana water infrastructure master plan to ensure that sufficient water infrastructure is planned and constructed commensurate with anticipated population growth.

The MOU states that the 13 actions “are deemed necessary to ensure a comprehensive and durable solution to address transboundary wastewater management issues, human health concerns, and environmental conditions in the Tijuana River watershed.”

On Friday morning, President Sheinbaum described the MOU as a “very important agreement” and highlighted that the United States is committing $600 million to projects in the San Diego area.

“It’s a comprehensive bilateral agreement,” she said.

With reports from Reuters, NBC San Diego and La Jornada

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Steven Willoughby, acting director of the Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Management Office in the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), made the assertion during an appearance before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

“Nearly every day, transnational criminal organizations use drones to convey illicit narcotics and contraband across U.S. borders and to conduct hostile surveillance of law enforcement,” he said.

“In the last six months of 2024, over 27,000 drones were detected within 500 meters of the U.S. southern border, operating nearly 60,000 unique flights, the majority of which were conducted at night or at restricted altitudes,” Willoughby said.

After highlighting that drones have increasingly been used around the world “to conduct kinetic attacks” and noting that “warring” cartels have used the unmanned aircraft to attack each other, the DHS official declared that “it’s only a matter of time before Americans or law enforcement are targeted in the border region [with Mexico].”

“In Ukraine and Russia, the extensive use of drones in the ongoing war has further demonstrated their lethality and versatility. … As my colleagues here can attest to, the threat of weaponized UAS [unmanned aircraft system] attacks is also a concern right here in the United States,” Willoughby said.

Funcionarios de EU advierten que cárteles mexicanos podrían atacar con drones a sus fuerzas

“Es cuestión de tiempo antes de que civiles o policías de EU sean blanco en la frontera”, alerta Steven Willoughby, jefe del programa anti-drones de la Oficina de Estrategia,… pic.twitter.com/9pPaYC3iSe

— Azucena Uresti (@azucenau) July 23, 2025

In written testimony submitted to the U.S. Senate Committee on the judiciary, the official said that:

• Since 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and officers have seized thousands of pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl and other hard narcotics that drug traffickers have attempted to transport through thousands of cross-border drone flights.
• Since early August 2024, warring Sinaloa Cartel factions have increasingly attacked one another using drone-delivered improvised explosive devices.
• DHS’s authority to detect and counter drone threats will expire on September 30, 2025 — and we need urgent Congressional action to ensure the continued protection of our nation.

For his part, the head of the FBI’s anti-drones program told the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary that the United States is “doing things with the Mexican government [and] the Mexican armed forces” to combat the threat of drones in the border area.

“We’re sending people down there to train them on drone exploitation and the principles … of effective counter-UAS,” Michael Torphy said.

Drone exploitation is the use of drones for malicious and criminal purposes.

Torphy said that the United States is “delivering best practices” to Mexico “to keep them safer” and to “fight the war” against criminal organizations.

“But then we’re bringing back the things that they’re learning in their country because inevitably that will come into our country and we’ll be better prepared,” he said.

It was revealed earlier this year that the United States Central Intelligence Agency has flown drones over Mexico to spy on drug cartels and hunt for fentanyl labs.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said in February that U.S. drone flights over Mexico only occur after the government of Mexico has requested them in order to obtain information to be able to respond to prevailing “security conditions.”

Sheinbaum: No reports of ‘new drones’ at the Mexico-US border 

At her Wednesday morning press conference, Sheinbaum was asked whether the Mexican government has detected the illicit operation of drones near the Mexico-U.S. border and whether it is collaborating with the U.S. government to combat the unmanned aerial vehicles.

“At some point there was a drone that didn’t cross, let’s say, the border,” she said, adding that there is “permanent collaboration” between Mexico and the United States on security issues, especially at the border.

“There is no information of new drones that are at the border at this time,” Sheinbaum said.

“Remember that there is the [Northern] Border Operation with 10,000 National Guard troops,” she added.

Sheinbaum asserted that “there is nothing in particular” to be concerned about “at this moment,” offering a rebuttal to Willoughby’s assertion that a drone attack against U.S. citizens or law enforcement is “only a matter of time.”

There is “communication” and “collaboration” between Mexico and the United States, she stressed.

“There is no reason for additional concern,” Sheinbaum said.

For his part, Navy Minister Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles acknowledged that organized crime groups in Mexico have flown “commercial drones” for criminal purposes, but declared that “it hasn’t been detected that those types of drones are at the border.”

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

The post US official claims cartels are conducting thousands of drone ops at Mexico border appeared first on Mexico News Daily

In the northeastern border state of Tamaulipas, officials last month hosted a workshop titled “Nopal Protein Feed for Livestock: An Affordable, Drought-Resilient Solution” in the municipalities of Llera and Tula, aiming to equip farmers with technical knowledge on cactus-based feeding strategies.

The benefits of nopal — including its inherent drought resistance and its ability to thrive in harsh conditions — make it an attractive and economical option for livestock feed.

“We know that the cactus is an alternative food for livestock, especially due to its protein content,” said René Lara Cisneros, mayor of Tula. “We live in times when the countryside demands innovation, efficiency and sustainability, and the cactus is a noble, resilient plant with a long tradition.”

The initiative, led by the state’s Department of Rural Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture, includes a commitment to providing practical tools to bolster rural productivity.

Two of the main speakers were Francisco Javier Macías Rodríguez, an agronomist at Chapingo Autonomous University (UACh) in México state, and Santiago de Jesús Méndez Gallegos, a specialist on goat farming and forage management.

The benefits they spoke of extend beyond Tamaulipas. 

In the northwestern border state of Sonora, the Navojoa Livestock Association has held similar workshops in conjunction with national agencies — including a 2021 project addressing the demands of livestock farmers in the face of water scarcity.

Jorge Luis García Rodríguez, regional director for the National Commission for Arid Zones, explained: “We seek to reduce water consumption in forage production and are turning to [UACh] to strengthen the cultivation of forage cactus, which uses only a quarter of the water required by forage corn or alfalfa.” 

Advances from research have boosted the protein content of cactus forage to commercial levels as high as 36% to 42%, and producers report significant savings on fodder purchases.

However, promoting its adoption requires robust technical support for producers in states and regions where drought has intensified the forage crisis.

Although much of Mexico has seen drought conditions ease since June, northern states such as Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Baja California still face extreme or exceptional drought, according to government data as of July 15.

Many areas are hoping for some relief when the rains come, but for a growing number of farmers, resilience means embracing drought-tolerant alternatives like nopal.

With reports from En Círculos, El Imparcial, El Debate, El Financiero and Meteored

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U.S. tariffs on a range of Mexican goods, including 25% levies on steel and aluminum, have made companies wary of investing in Mexican industry and nearshoring. However, Mexico’s auto parts sector is exempt from U.S. tariffs so long as companies comply with regional content requirements outlined in the USMCA free trade agreement.

The USMCA requires automakers to adhere to strict rules of origin. Companies can avoid paying tariffs when exporting in North America if they produce 75% of the value of cars, light trucks and essential auto parts with components from the USMCA region.

This exception has helped Nuevo León to maintain high levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector, albeit more discreetly. Several companies investing in the state have chosen not to make public investment announcements in recent months, to avoid unwanted attention.

“There are many companies that tell us, ‘I’m going to wait [to make the announcement],’” Emmanuel Loo, the deputy minister of investment and innovation at the state Economy Ministry, told the newspaper El Economista.

“They are new companies that have arrived in the state and are already building and hiring staff… They tell us, ‘I don’t want to say, because of the tariff issue… Hey, I’m investing in Nuevo León. Please don’t put me in the spotlight because they’ll make an example of me later.’”

Some companies have been more successful at adhering to USMCA measures than others. Kia Mexico, for example, uses around 98% regional content.

However, several German car brands that export from Mexico rely heavily on supplies from Europe. Previously, they paid a 2.5% tax for these imports, but many have now been hit with 25% U.S. tariffs, according to Loo.

Nuevo León has recorded higher levels of FDI so far this year than previous year, with US $2.7 billion in the first quarter of 2025, compared to US$2.5 billion in the whole of 2023 and $2.1 billion in 2024.

“We are almost at the same level as [the whole of] last year in FDI,” stated Loo.

“We know this will continue. Yesterday I visited three companies; workers will be contracted for 3,000 jobs. We are still experiencing the effect of nearshoring, but each time it is with greater added value, and creating high-impact jobs.”

The state government reported that since 2021, over 400 investments totaling more than $73 billion have been announced in Nuevo León, many of which are in varying stages of development and may not yet appear in federal records.

With reports from El Economista

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The investment will go toward strengthening Bimbo’s infrastructure, according to José Manuel González, president and director general of Bimbo México, who made the announcement during President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference.

¿Sabías que? Grupo Bimbo es dueño de todas estas marcas. pic.twitter.com/KNZ4XxgrBG

— Cerebros (@CerebrosG) May 16, 2022

The seven states that will benefit are Baja California, Yucatán, Nuevo León, Querétaro, Puebla, México state and Mexico City (which is a federal entity with legal standing similar to a state).

González said that in addition to the 2,000 direct jobs, the funding could result in an additional 10,800 indirect jobs. Since its founding in December 1945, Bimbo has created 80,000 jobs in Mexico, with another 460,000 jobs linked indirectly to the breadmaker’s operations.

“We will be celebrating our 80th anniversary this year,” González said, “and we have learned that when Mexicans work together we always make progress.”

González said the investment’s primary objectives are to increase productive and technological capacity, while also improving Bimbo’s research and development divisions.

The funds will boost the company’s sustainability model by modernizing its fleet of electric delivery vehicles and by creating more environmentally friendly packaging for its products. At least 30 factories will be modernized as well.

The Bimbo executive said the development project dovetails with Sheinbaum’s ambitious Plan México, which aims to align private investment with social development and sustainability as it reduces imports and boosts domestic production.

Sheinbaum applauded the Bimbo announcement, saying the investment demonstrates “confidence in our country among national and foreign businesspeople.”

“This is extremely important because it provides certainty for investors and serves to attract other domestic and foreign investments,” Sheinbaum said.

Bimbo will continue to work closely with Mexican farmers, González said. The breadmaker currently acquires 97% of the ingredients needed for its products from domestic sources.

“This investment demonstrates Bimbo’s commitment to the well-being of [Mexico’s] progress,” González said, adding that the company will continue to support government initiatives such as the anti-inflation package aimed at alleviating the prices of consumer goods and the Water Security and Sustainability Agreement.

When asked about the possible effects of U.S. tariffs on Mexican imports that are set to go into effect on August 1, González said he expects the impact will be minimal.

“We don’t believe we will be affected if tariffs are imposed,” González said. 

Bimbo has been exporting its products to the United States for more than 20 years. The U.S. and Canada are Grupo Bimbo’s primary export markets, accounting for nearly 50% of its sales.

By a sad coincidence, the announcement came on the same day of the passing at age 97 of  Bimbo co-founder Roberto Servitje, a key contributor to the company’s growth over the decades.

With reports from El Economista, Forbes, La Jornada and Expansión

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Here is a recap of the president’s July 10 mañanera.

Sheinbaum: US decision to once again halt Mexican cattle imports due to screwworm threat ‘totally exaggerated’ 

On Wednesday, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins had ordered “the closure of livestock trade through southern ports of entry effective immediately.”

In a statement, the USDA noted that Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (Senasica) reported on Tuesday “a new case of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Ixhuatlán de Madero, Veracruz in Mexico, which is approximately 160 miles northward of the current sterile fly dispersal grid, on the eastern side of the country and 370 miles south of the U.S./Mexico border.”

“This new northward detection comes approximately two months after northern detections were reported in Oaxaca and Veracruz, less than 700 miles away from the U.S. border, which triggered the closure of our ports to Mexican cattle, bison, and horses on May 11, 2025,” the USDA said.

The department said that while it “announced a risk-based phased port re-opening strategy for cattle, bison, and equine from Mexico beginning as early as July 7, 2025, this newly reported NWS case raises significant concern about the previously reported information shared by Mexican officials and severely compromises the outlined port reopening schedule of five ports from July 7-September 15.”

“Therefore, in order to protect American livestock and our nation’s food supply, Secretary Rollins has ordered the closure of livestock trade through southern ports of entry effective immediately,” the USDA said.

At her press conference on Thursday, Sheinbaum expressed her disagreement with the decision.

She said that upon finding out about the new screwworm case in Veracruz, the United States government took, “from our point of view” a “totally exaggerated decision to once again close the border.”

“In any case, what do we do? Well, the technical teams immediately get back to work to demonstrate that [the screwworm situation] is under control and that everything that scientifically and practically should be done is being done,” Sheinbaum said.

She said that Agriculture Minister Julio Berdegué — who didn’t attend Thursday’s press conference due to illness — is in “permanent contact” with Secretary Rollins, and “we hope that the border will be opened again very soon.”

Sheinbaum said that the latest screwworm case in Veracruz was attended to “immediately.”

“As the director of Senasica rightly says: veterinarians arrive, there is a team, there is a care protocol; sterile flies are released so that this pest does not spread. So, all the protocols are being followed,” she said.

Sheinbaum seeks to allay concerns about job losses 

A reporter noted that Mexico lost more than 46,000 formal sector jobs in June, the third consecutive month that the size of the country’s formal sector workforce shrank.

Sheinbaum declared that “the trend will change,” asserting that public and private infrastructure projects as well as housing projects “will enable employment to grow.”

She highlighted that the number of people in formal sector jobs at the end of June was higher than a year earlier, and therefore there has been job growth over the past 12 months.

The president is correct, although the formal sector workforce only added 6,222 jobs in the 12 months to the end of June, representing an annual growth rate of just 0.03%, according to the Mexican Social Security Institute.

Sheinbaum attributed job losses in recent months to the “tariff decisions” of the United States, which has imposed duties on imports of steel, aluminum and cars from Mexico.

“But we have Plan México, which is going to work,” she said, referring to the government’s ambitious economic initiative.

“And this year, in particular, the trend will change due to construction [projects], among other things,” Sheinbaum said.

“Any country in the world, when it has a situation like these, immediately activates construction,” she said, adding that the government will build 182,000 homes in Mexico this year.

She said that the construction of new houses “will help us a lot” in job creation.

“And it must be said that [vehicle] exports increased in June. So a part of exports that could have declined due to tariff measures is recovering,” Sheinbaum said.

No deal yet to avert US tomato tariff

A reporter noted that Mexico’s agreement with the United States on tomato exports is set to expire on July 14, paving the way for the U.S. to impose tariffs on Mexican tomatoes.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) announced in April its intention to “withdraw from the 2019 Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Fresh Tomatoes from Mexico.”

“… With the termination of this agreement, Commerce will institute an antidumping duty order on July 14, 2025, resulting in duties of 20.91% on most imports of tomatoes from Mexico,” the department said.

Sheinbaum said that Mexican authorities “have worked a lot with the United States government” and that “tomato associations from different parts of the country, particularly Sinaloa, have also been working and have been in contact” with U.S. authorities.

However, no deal to avert the imposition of the tariff has yet been reached.

Sheinbaum said that between 70% and 80% of tomatoes consumed in the United States are exported from Mexico and therefore “it’s not easy to substitute them.”

“Firstly, due to the quantity, the volume, and secondly due to the quality,” she said.

“… They’re going to get angry if they produce elsewhere, but tomatoes from Sinaloa are difficult to replace,” Sheinbaum said.

“So, beyond the decisions that the United States government takes, it’s not so easy to substitute [Mexican tomatoes], they’re going to have to continue importing,” she said.

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

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In the last decade, Coahuila wineries have won more than 1,500 awards and recognitions in Mexican and international wine competitions, with the participation of Mexico’s iconic Casa Madero — North America’s oldest winery — being a highlight. 

This recognition of the state’s wineries will hopefully sustain and strengthen Coahuila’s unique wine route, which currently has 11 participating wineries and additional vineyards to visit off the official route. 

Known as the Wines and Dinosaurs Route for its excellently preserved prehistoric fossil remains found throughout, this route — which features snails, turtles and algae fossils, as well as natural formations from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic periods — has plans to become even more accessible for tourists in the near future. 

Before we begin part two of our profiles of Coahuila’s wineries, we ought to mention a great way to get to know Coahuila wines that’s coming up this month: La Gran Vendimia Festival Internacional del Vino y la Buena Vida, happening in Parras de la Fuente on July 19 at the Rincón Montero Hotel.

The event will feature local and national wines as well as wines from around the world. This event is expected to strengthen tourism and recognition of Coahuila and Mexican wines, , as well as be a great opportunity for hotels and restaurants in the region.

Can’t make this event? Then check out any of these wineries on your own time! 

Casa Náufrago

Located in Los Hoyos, Parras de las Fuentes, this winery spans 100 hectares, boasting several microclimates considered exceptional for grape cultivation. 

Casa Náufrago’s winemaker is the renowned Francisco “Paco” Rodríguez, a winemaking pioneer previously at the aforementioned Casa Madero. Rodríguez’s wines are undoubtedly a must-try. Casa Naufrago’s wine-tasting experience is complemented by the winery’s architecture, vineyard tours and its cuisine.

Hacienda Florida

Ten years ago, Hacienda Florida celebrated its first grape harvest, led by Salomón Abedrop, its founder and the current president of the Mexican Wine Council. He’s a man known for his experience in the field and his love for his land.

Located in the town of General Cépeda, between Saltillo and Torreón, Hacienda Florida now boasts 20 hectares of vineyards, whose vines are French imports.

From the beginning, Hacienda Florida’s mission has been to produce elegant, standout wines in a boutique setting. It currently has a line of 11 reds that have won many awards at competitions such as the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and Global Wine. 

The day-to-day winemaking is led by Debanhi Torres, a young Mexican winemaker who is also collaborating with winemakers from other countries.

Hacienda Florida’s shiraz and grenache blend is a standout – a Gran Reserva aged for 15 months in French and American oak barrels. The single-varietal malbec is another of this winery’s best bottles, as is a white wine made from verdejo grapes and a rosé blend of grenache and cabernet sauvignon.

The estate’s restaurant, La Terraza, is elegantly decorated with a splendid view of the vineyards and even a dinosaur-themed decor.

Bodega Amonites 

On the road from General Cépeda to Parras, is a newer winery, Bodega Amonites, named for the remains of ammonites — prehistoric marine cephalopods — found in the area.  Amonites’ top priority is respect for the terroir, and it’s working to convert its land into a protected nature reserve. This is one of the 11 wineries on the Wines and Dinosaurs Route 

At 1,300 meters above sea level, Bodega Amonites has the ideal climate for grape growing — warm days and cool nights. In 2021, the winery planted its first malbec and syrah vines, cultivated on 2 hectares, with purposefully low yields to maintain the grapes’ quality. In 2022, Bodega Amonites planted cabernet franc, nebbiolo and primitivo. 

The winery is only open on weekends, and tours there are always accompanied by an archeological tour, tastings, local cheeses, barbecue, charcuterie and, naturally, Coahuila-style burritos!

Vinícola El Fortín

Located in the municipality of Buenaventura, Vinicola El Fortín’s history began as Rancho El Fortín, with its introduction of France’s Charolais beef cattle to Mexico and to the continent. Rancho El Fortín still sells this premium, hard-to-find meat today. It also bred four-mile horses until it was acquired by Jesús Ramón Valdés, who decided to incorporate wine production into the ranch’s activities.

In 2008, he sought out the help of Jose Milmo, then the owner of Casa Madero, and thus began the history of what is now one of the most prestigious wineries in the country. 

Vinícola El Fortin’s vines, imported from France, adapted perfectly to the climatic conditions of their land, which,  sits at over 1,200 meters above sea level. Vinícola El Fortín produces elegant and aromatic high-altitude red wines with a powerful palate and polished tannins — wines to savor and pair with a good cut of meat

Wineries in northern and central Coahuila

Piedras Negras, Coahuila, the northernmost wine-producing town in the state, is home to Vinicola Don Baldomero, which from its beginnings has primarily produced potent and alcoholic wines made from shiraz grapes. 

In the center of the state, in Múzquiz and in Cuatro Ciénegas, are the Ferriño and the Vinos Vitali wineries, both founded by Miguel Ferriño in the 19th century and now owned by his descendants. These wines are sweet, either natural or fortified port-style, and these wineries also produce a brandy.

The dry climate and low rainfall allow the grapes to ripen with high levels of sugars, glucose and fructose, ideal for this type of wine. Ferriño produces the popular and sweet Sangre de Cristo wine and offers tours and tastings.

Wineries from Coahuila’s Sierra del Arteaga region

The Sierra del Arteaga, a region of valleys nestled between mountains, at altitudes of over 2,000 meters above sea level, is home to what are known as high-altitude wines, with ideal climatic conditions for producing aromatic, fresh, and elegant vintages. Among the wineries you’ll find here is Terra Serena, which boasts an unsurpassed lakeside trail, mountain views, and well-crafted wines. Bodegas Del Viento and Los Pinos benefit from the beauty of the landscape around them; their services include tours and tastings, accompanied by charcuterie and cheeses made in the region.

In coming years, Coahuila, the awakening behemoth, is destined to be the main character in the story of Mexican wine.

Reservations are recommended for all visits and are available online at each winery’s website. 

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