Mexico

Cartel violence in Mexico raises tourism concerns ahead of FIFA World Cup

Maria Dolores Aguirre's family corner store has lived off tourism that has flowed into her charming cobblestoned town of Tapalpa, tucked away in the mountains of Jalisco state. That was until gunshots erupted and helicopters flew overhead as the Mexican army killed the country's most powerful drug lord, just a few kilometers from her home. Now, the 50-year-old Aguirre worries that the bloodshed will deal a blow to her livelihood and change towns like hers. It is something many in the western Mexican state are grappling with, from its Pacific Ocean beaches to its capital Guadalajara that will host matches in June for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. "It's going to affect us. It's collateral damage," Aguirre said. "The government is going to have to have a lot of security... The entire world just saw what happened and, of course, people are going to think twice about coming." Fighting between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Mexican security forces raged on in a number of states Monday,

All about El Mencho, the Mexican drug lord killed in military operation

From a small village in Michoacan to leading the powerful CJNG cartel across 60 countries, El Mencho built a vast drug network before being killed in a Mexican army operation in Jalisco

Mexican forces tracked drug lord El Mencho to cabin by following his lover

Top security officials revealed details of the operation that led to the death of Mexico's most wanted drug cartel leader

Will FIFA take 2026 WC host rights away from Guadalajara amid cartel chaos?

FIFA regulations for the 2026 World Cup allow the governing body to "cancel, reschedule or relocate one or more matches, or the entire tournament, at its discretion" due to safety, health, or security

Mexico erupts after cartel boss killed; India issues advisory: What we know

Mexico saw gun battles, arson and road blockades after its army killed cartel boss El Mencho. With violence spreading across states, India and the US advised citizens to shelter in place

Mexican army kills leader of powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel

The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, "El Mencho, " on Sunday, decapitating what had become Mexico's most powerful cartel and giving the government its biggest prize yet to show the Trump administration its efforts. Oseguera Cervantes was wounded in an operation to capture him Sunday in Tapalpa, Jalisco about a two-hour drive southwest of Guadalajara and he died while being flown to Mexico City, the Defense Department said in a statement. The state is the base of the cartel known for trafficking huge quantities of fentanyl and other drugs to the United States. During the operation, troops came under fire and killed four people at the location. Three more people, including Oseguera Cervantes, were wounded and later died, the statement said. Two others were arrested and armored vehicles, rocket launchers and other arms were seized. Three members of the armed forces were wounded and receiving medical ...

Mexico, El Salvador seize over 10 tonnes of cocaine amid deadly US strikes

The navies of El Salvador and Mexico announced drug seizures in the Pacific Ocean this week of more than 10 tonnes of cocaine, in contrast to deadly strikes by the US government that just this week left 11 people dead on three boats suspected of carrying drugs in Latin American waters. The latest announcement came Thursday, when Mexico said it had seized nearly four tonnes of suspected drugs and detained three people from a semisubmersible craft, 250 nautical miles (463 kilometres) south of the port of Manzanillo. Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said via X that the seizure from the sleek, low-riding boat with three visible motors brought the weekly total to nearly 10 tonnes, but he did not provide detail on the other seizures. Mexican authorities said the seizure was made with intelligence shared US Northern Command and the US Joint Interagency Task Force South. On Sunday, El Salvador's navy announced the largest drug seizure in the country's history of 6.6 tonnes of

Mexican President Sheinbaum pledges to send humanitarian aid to Cuba

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Sunday she plans to send humanitarian aid to Cuba this week, including food and other humanitarian aid. Sheinbaum's comments came after US President Donald Trump said he asked the Mexican leader to suspend oil shipments to the Caribbean island. Sheinbaum said at a public event in the northern state of Sonora that she did not discuss Cuban affairs in a phone conversation with Trump on Thursday. She added that her government seeks to " diplomatically solve everything related to the oil shipments (to Cuba) for humanitarian reasons." Earlier, Trump told reporters that he told the Mexican president not to send oil to Cuba. Following the US military operation carried out in early January to remove Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, the South American nation suspended oil shipments to Cuba, which had been declining in recent years. Mexico then became the main supplier of crude oil and refined products to Havana. Mexican oil has long acte

Trump signs order to impose tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that puts pressure on Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said this week that her government had at least temporarily stopped oil shipments to Cuba, but said it was a "sovereign decision" not made under pressure from the United States. Trump has been squeezing Mexico to distance itself from the Cuban government.

11 killed, 12 injured as gunmen open fire at soccer field in central Mexico

Gunmen opened fire at a soccer field in central Mexico on Sunday, killing at least 11 people and wounding 12, authorities said. Salamanca Mayor Cesar Prieto said in a statement posted to social platforms that the gunmen arrived at the end of a soccer match. Ten people at the scene and one died later at a hospital. The mayor said a woman and a minor were among the wounded. Prieto said the attack was part of a "crime wave" in the city and appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum for help to control the violence. The Guanajuato state prosecutor's office said it was investigating and coordinating with federal authorities to reinforce security in the area. Guanajuato had Mexico's highest homicide total last year. A local gang, Santa Rosa de Lima, has been battling the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel. "Unfortunately, there are criminal groups trying to subjugate authorities, something they are not going to achieve," the mayor said. Overall, Mexico's government says the country's

It was 'sovereign decision' to send cartel members to US: Mexican President

Mexico sent 37 cartel members to United States at the request of the US Justice Department, with President Claudia Sheinbaum saying Wednesday that it was a "sovereign decision" by her government. Sheinbaum responded to criticism from analysts and opponents who said that the transfers on Tuesday were the result of mounting pressure from Washington. US President Donald Trump has threatened to take military action on cartels. Sheinbaum said that although the transfers were made at the request of the US government, the decision was taken by the National Security Council after analyzing what was "convenient for Mexico" and in terms of its "national security." "Mexico is put first above all else, even if they ask for whatever they have to ask for. It is a sovereign decision," she said at her regular morning news briefing. Sheinbaum, who has been praised for her level-headed management of relations with Trump, has been forced to walk a fine line between making concessions to the Trump ...

Prez Sheinbaum addresses concerns over US military activity near Mexico

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum quelled concerns on Monday about two recent movements of the US military in the vicinity of Mexico that have the country on edge since the attack on Venezuela. On Friday, the US Federal Aviation Administration urged US aircraft operators to exercise caution when flying over the eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, Central America and parts of South America, citing military activities. The president said her administration waited a couple hours until the US government provided written assurance that there would not be any US military flights over Mexican territory. She said the US government had not given Mexico a heads up about any military operations. The US government provided precise coordinates for where it was operating and Mexican authorities issued a statement saying the FAA advisory had no implications for Mexico. Then, images of a US military transport airplane on the tarmac at Toluca's airport about 63 kilometres west of Mexico City began

US military action on cartels not needed, Mexico president tells Trump

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said she had a very good conversation with US President Donald Trump on Monday and that their two governments will continue working together on security issues without the need for US intervention against drug cartels. The approximately 15-minute call came after Sheinbaum said Friday she had requested dialogue with the Trump administration at the end of a week in which he had said he was ready to confront drug cartels on the ground and repeated the accusation that cartels were running Mexico. Trump has repeatedly offered to send the US military after the cartels and Sheinbaum has always declined, but after the US removal of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro, Trump's comments about Mexico, Cuba and Greenland carried new weight. He (Trump) asked me my opinion about what they had done in Venezuela and I told him very clearly that our constitution is very clear, that we do not agree with interventions and that was it, Sheinbaum said. Trump still ...

Tanker carrying oil from Mexico reaches Cuba, increasing tensions with US

Mexico has become a key supplier of oil to Cuba after Venezuela's exports fell, drawing criticism from US lawmakers and adding strain to ties with President Trump

Brazil's prez holds calls with Canada, Mexico and Colombia on Venezuela

The calls came just days after a deadly US military operation captured Maduro and stunned Latin America, generating stiff rebukes

Mexico becomes key fuel supplier to Cuba, but pledges no extra shipments

As the United States prepares to seize control of Venezuelan oil and the administration of US President Donald Trump hardens its stance toward Cuba, Mexico has emerged as a key fuel supplier to Havana. It's a role that could further complicate already strained relations with the Trump administration, even though the Mexican government insists that exports to the island have not increased. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged on Wednesday that with the current situation in Venezuela, Mexico has become an important supplier of crude oil to Cuba, but asserted that no more oil is being sent than has been sent historically; there is no specific shipment. She added that those shipments are made via contracts or as humanitarian aid, but offered no concrete figures on the number of barrels exported. **'The blackouts are going to intensify' Following the 1959 revolution that toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista, the US imposed a trade embargo on Cuba in response to the ...

Mexico dismisses fears of US military action after Venezuela intervention

After the United States military intervention in Venezuela, the Mexican government and analysts discounted the likelihood of unilateral US military action against Mexican drug cartels, despite threats from President Donald Trump. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration has been complying with Washington's demands and the economic ties between the two countries are vital, they say. Nonetheless, many expect more such threats as a way to extract more concessions from Mexico. No one dares rule out completely an unexpected move by the US president. Sheinbaum downplayed the possibility of US military action Monday. I don't see risks (of that), she said. There is coordination, there is collaboration with the United States government. I don't believe in (the possibility of) invasion, I don't believe even that it's something they are taking seriously, she said. Organised crime is not taken care with (foreign military) intervention. Here are some of the reasons: Mexico is not

After Venezuela, who else is on Trump’s military radar?

Days after a dramatic US operation in Venezuela, President Donald Trump has hinted that other countries could also face American pressure or intervention. From Greenland to Mexico

At least 2 killed as earthquake of magnitude 6.5 hits Mexico's Guerrero

A strong earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico on Friday, interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum's first press briefing of the new year as seismic alarms sounded and leaving at least two people dead. The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.5 and its epicentre was near the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero near the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, according to Mexico's national seismological agency. There were more than 500 aftershocks. The state's civil defence agency reported various landslides around Acapulco and on other highways in the state. Guerrero Gov. Evelyn Salgado said that a 50-year-old woman living in a small community near the epicentre died when her home collapsed. Authorities also said that a hospital in Chilpancingo, Guerrero's capital, suffered major structural damage and various patients were evacuated. Residents and tourists in Mexico City and Acapulco rushed into the streets when the shaking began. Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said

13 killed, dozens injured as Interoceanic Train derails in southern Mexico

Officials said a train accident in southern Mexico injured at least 15 people and halted traffic along a rail line connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico. The Interoceanic Train linking the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz derailed as it passed a curve near the town of Nizanda. In a message on X on Sunday, Oaxaca state Gov. Salomon Jara said several government agencies had reached the site of the accident to assist the injured. Officials said that 241 passengers and nine crew members were on the train when the accident occurred. The Interoceanic Train was inaugurated in 2023 by then President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The rail service is part of a broader push to boost train travel in southern Mexico, and develop infrastructure along the isthmus of Tehuantepec, a narrow stretch of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The Mexican government plans to turn the isthmus into a strategic corridor for international trade, with ports and rail lines that can