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¡Felices Pascuas!
Picture Source: Zbolotnova
Wanted Posters for Mexican Narco Brothers
Remember the old Wanted posters from the Old West? Here is a Wanted Poster offering a reward for the Dalton Brothers.
In our day and age, Wanted Posters are still used. For Mexican narcos, for example.
On April 15th he U.S. government offered rewards for information leading to the capture of the Hurtado Olascoaga Brothers.
These guys are the bosses of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel, based in the State of Mexico, Michoacan and Guerrero.
On February 20th, the U.S. State Department designated the LNFM cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
According to the State Department, “The DEA estimates the LNFM is responsible for the transportation, importation, and distribution of over 36 metric tons of methamphetamine, 12 metric tons of Mexican heroin, and 12 metric tons of cocaine per year from Mexico into the United States.”
Here are the wanted posters for the two brothers:
Note that there’s a 3 million dollar reward “for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of” Brother Jose Alfredo (“Strawberry”) and a 5 million dollar reward “for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction” of Brother Johnny (“Fish”).
There are also posters available in Spanish.
The Mexican Music Market, Narcocorridos and Freedom of Speech
Mexico is a musically-oriented country and recently became the 10th-largest music market in the world.
There are various genres of Mexican music, plus Mexico is a big market for music from other Spanish-speaking countries and from English-speaking countries.
Like other areas of Mexican society, the music business is not untouched by the drug cartels. Some Mexican performers are linked to specific drug cartels and there is a form of song called a narcocorrido. A corrido is a type of traditional music telling a story. Thus a narcocorrido tells a story about the narco world.
On March 29, the group called Los Alegres del Barranco held a concert in which the face of Nemesio Ruben “El Mencho” Oseguera, leader of the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, was projected on the screen, and applauded by the audience. This had repercussions north of the border.
As reported by the Mexico Daily Post, “U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who was U.S. ambassador to Mexico during the first Trump administration, said late Tuesday [April 1] on X that the work and tourism visas of members of Los Alegres del Barranco were revoked….‘ I’m a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn’t mean that expression should be free of consequences,’ Landau wrote on X. ‘The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.’ ”
Revocation of visas is a real punishment – these groups have large audiences in the United States. In fact, Los Alegres del Barranco had a U.S. concert tour scheduled to begin in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 4th. So that was cancelled.
According to Billboard, “The band apologized on April 2, saying that it ‘was never our intention to create controversy, much less cause offense.’ ”
On April 9th, several municipalities in the central state of Mexico banned performances of songs glorifying violence.
On April 11th, singer Luis R. Conriquez had a concert in Texcoco, State of Mexico. This singer is known for narco-related music, in fact his (U.S.-based) record label is called “Kartel Music”.
At this concert though, the singer announced he wasn’t going to sing any narcocorridos.
But the fans weren’t having it. They booed, shouted, threw drinks and attacked the stage, destroying the band’s equipment.
This illustrates one of the many problems posed by the cartels – their popular support among some sectors of Mexican society.
As described by the Blog del Narco (my translation), “A night that promised to be a musical celebration…culminated in an unexpected and violent episode. The attendees of the concert of the famous Mexican singer Luis R. Conriquez reacted with fury and destroyed the stage setup after the artist announced his decision not to sing narcocorridos during his show. A sector of the public…demanded that he sing the narcocorridoes, the singer refused and they began to destroy everything. The frustration of the public was exhibited in such a blatant manner that it was recorded in multiple videos shared on social media by the attendees themselves.”
In the words of Auden Cabello “A Mexican singer renowned for portraying and romanticizing organized crime declined to perform ‘narco-corridos.’ The audience responded with hostility, vandalizing the equipment of the bands. This incident serves as a stark indication of the profound influence of narco-culture on Mexican society.“
So what’s the solution? Is it to ban certain types of music or performances ? Or not?
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, in her April 16th press conference, said she wasn’t in favor of banning such performances, and that “education and awareness are better approaches“. On the other hand she said “Of course, there are extremes that cross into criminal territory, right? Like what happened at an event where a video of a drug trafficker was shown as if it were something positive. Everything has its pros and cons.”
As for the Alegres del Barranco, the group that had the narco baron’s face on their screen and got their visas revoked, that incident won them much publicity.
On April 9th, Billboard reported that “Los Alegres Del Barranco’s ‘El Del Palenque’ debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s LyricFind Global chart dated April 12 following interest in the 2021 song amid the Mexican band’s controversy over a concert during which it showed images of a cartel leader while performing the tune. The LyricFind Global and LyricFind U.S. charts rank the fastest momentum-gaining tracks in lyric-search queries and usages globally and in the U.S., respectively, provided by LyricFind. The Global chart includes queries from all countries, including the U.S. The company is the world’s leader in licensed lyrics, with data provided by more than 5,000 publishers and utilized by more than 100 services, including Amazon, Pandora, Deezer, Microsoft, SoundHound and iHeartRadio. “El Del Palenque” tops the LyricFind Global survey after interest in the song’s lyrics jumped 232% globally following the concert and ensuing news coverage, according to LyricFind.”
President Sheinbaum Attends CELAC Summit. What is CELAC and Why Did China Have a Delegation There?
In the midst of the ongoing Trump Tariffs situation, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum flew to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for a meeting of CELAC.
What is CELAC?
CELAC is the “Community of Latin American States”. The acronym CELAC is based on Spanish, in which it is the Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños.
CELAC is seen as an alternative to the Organization of American States (OAS), based in Washington, D.C.
So there are two Western Hemisphere organizations, the OAS and CELAC.
Membership-wise, both organizations have 33 member states. The difference is that Cuba and Nicaragua are not in the OAS, while the U.S. and Canada are not in CELAC.
A CELAC summit was held in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the big day was April 9th, 2025. Representatives of the member states were there, including 11 heads of state. A delegation from China was also in attendance.
President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico was in attendance. And she made a grand entrance. Here is a photo of President Sheinbaum arriving, with Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente on her right.
Here’s how France 24 describes the meeting: “The calls for unity of purpose were made in Honduras at a meeting of the 33-member Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), also attended by China — seeking to replace the United States as the main political and economic influence in the region.”
“Eleven CELAC heads of state attended the deliberations, including leftist leaders Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil and Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico — Latin America’s biggest economies — as well as Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and host Xiomara Castro.”
” ‘We cannot continue walking separately when the world is reorganizing,’ Castro said as the talks got underway in the capital Tegucigalpa.”
” ‘The United States is redrawing its economic map without asking which peoples are left behind,’ she said.”
And Sheinbaum?
“Sheinbaum, for her part, said economies in the region must diversify their markets and focus more on ‘integration and helping each other.’ “
As I pointed out in a previous article, in recent years China has greatly increased its economic ties with Latin America, and is now South America’s biggest trading partner. And China had a delegation at the CELAC meeting.
The Chinese delegation was active at the CELAC summit. From France 24: “In Honduras, a Chinese delegation led by Qu Yuhui, Beijing’s number two for Latin American Affairs, has been holding bilateral meetings with CELAC delegates since Monday — including envoys from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Venezuela and Cuba.”
“Beijing also plans to host a China-CELAC ministerial conference on May 13, to be attended by Xi.”
“ ‘China is set to increase its influence in Latin America; it is a gift from the United States,’ Peruvian international relations analyst Francisco Belaunde told AFP.”
“ ‘China wants to appear now as a reliable partner that is in favor of free trade, it wants to take advantage of the mess generated by Trump and the annoyance of all countries over these tariffs,’ he added.”
Mexico’s trade with China has grown, but is still less than its trade with the U.S. But when the dust has settled from the Trump Tariffs, what will the situation be?
Stay tuned…
Posted in Economy, Foreign Policy
Tagged CELAC, China, Claudia Sheinbaum, Donald Trump, Honduras, OAS, Tariffs, Tegucigalpa, Xiomara Castro
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Ronald Johnson Confirmed by Senate as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
Ronald Johnson has been confirmed by the Senate, albeit narrowly, as U.S. ambassador to Mexico.
Not to be confused with Ronald Harold Johnson, U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, the newly-designated ambassador to Mexico is Ronald Douglas Johnson
During Trump’s first term, in 2019, Ronald D. Johnson was installed as ambassador to the Central American nation of El Salvador, and was in that post from 2019 to 2021.
Before that ambassadorship, Johnson was the CIA’s Science and Technology Liaison to U.S. Special Operations Command.
From Reuters: “The U.S. Senate on Wednesday [April 9th] confirmed Ronald Johnson, a former ambassador to El Salvador, as ambassador to Mexico, amid ties strained by President Donald Trump’s tariff policy and speculation of U.S. military strikes to fight drug cartels.”
“The Senate voted 49 to 46 in favor of Johnson, who was an Army Green Beret and CIA officer before serving as ambassador to El Salvador during Trump’s first term.”
“Only a majority of those present was needed to confirm him for the high-profile diplomatic post. The vote was along party lines, with every yes coming from Trump’s fellow Republicans and every Democrat and independent aligned with Democrats voting no.”
Ronald D. Johnson is fluent in Spanish, which is good for an ambassador to a Spanish-speaking country.
U.S. Companies in Mexico Targeted by Mexican Drug Cartels
As I reported in a previous article, Mexican companies are targets of Mexican drug cartels.
See Mexican Corporations Extorted by Drug Cartels.
U.S. companies operating in Mexico are also targets of the Mexican cartels.
As reported by Julian Resendiz of Border Report : “Tariffs are not the only concern for American companies doing business in Mexico these days. An increasing number of U.S. subsidiaries and their Mexican partners are living with the threat of extortion, hijacking of trucks and attempts by criminals to coerce employees into tolerating illicit activities including drug trafficking, a new report states.”
The article quotes the Global Guardian security firm.
“ ‘Cartel extortion of Mexican businesses has expanded in both scope and the size of their targets, portending a possible future for American firms,’ according to the 2025 Worldwide Threat Assessment report from Virginia-based security firm Global Guardian. ‘Absent a substantial change in Mexico’s security landscape, extortion will pose an increasing threat to Western firms operating in Mexico.’ ”
There was an American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico survey.
“A 2024 survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico reported 1 in 8 of its members stated organized crime had ‘taken partial control of sales, distribution and/or pricing of their goods,’ Associated Press reported.”
The article quotes Michael Ballard, Global Guardian’s Director of Intelligence.
“ ‘(The number) of firms operating in Mexico impacted by organized crime and violence in some way is a relative high number,’ said Michael Ballard, director of intelligence for Global Guardian. ‘Central Mexico is a manufacturing hub for the export of cars, appliances, heavy machinery … they are concerned about carjacking of those shipments, theft of goods and black-market reselling.’ “
“ ‘There are concerns about infiltration by members of organized crime either in the form of actual employees or coercion’ ” of executives.”
What kinds of employees are targeted?
“The most common targets are truck drivers, but executives in charge of vendor networks and supplies also are being targeted by organized crime.”
“Organized crime groups’ hounding of multinational companies is concentrated in heavily industrialized Nuevo Leon across the border from South Texas, in the Mexico City metropolitan area and in the cartel battlefield of Guanajuato, according to Global Guardian.”
They even use companies for smuggling.
“ ‘We’ve also seen in some cases that some cartels have forced their way in through threat of violence and coercion into piggybacking onto these companies’ distribution networks to transport their drugs or human trafficking or whatever the case may be,’ Ballard said. ‘They basically hide cocaine, heroin, meth, fentanyl in shipments that have been precleared by (U.S. Customs). It’s an easy way to get their product across the border.’ ”
“Some border manufacturers may be experiencing similar situations but it’s hard to quantify how many because employees who live in Mexico often are reluctant to report threats for fear of retaliation from criminals, he said.”
“It’s a very tricky situation. [….] We’ve all seen the photos and videos of some of the horrible things cartels have done to rivals, informants, whatever the case may be,” Ballard added.”
“This may put some American firms between a rock and a hard place because the U.S. government recently designated the largest Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. That means anyone aiding and abetting their activities is subject to criminal prosecution, in addition to fines.”
“ ‘It is a bigger deal than money laundering or accepting (illicit) money,’ he said.”
So what does Global Guardian tell its clients in Mexico?
“The international security firm has been advising clients in Mexico to ensure their financial compliance and to consider adding a security manager to their operations to regularly go over the books and root out potential cartel infiltration.”
Posted in Crime
Tagged Border Report, Drug cartels, Global Guardian Security Firm, Julian Resendiz, Michael Ballard
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Taruk, the Mexican Electric Bus
A new electric bus has been developed in Mexico. It’s called the “Taruk”, from the Yaqui word for the roadrunner bird. (Yaqui is an indigenous language of northwest Mexico).
It’s the first fully electric bus completely developed in Mexico.
According to Mexico Business News, “Developed through a collaboration involving the National Council of Humanities, Sciences, and Technologies (CONAHCYT), along with companies Dina and Megaflux and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Taruk represents a partnership among government, academia, and the private sector.”
The Taruk can go up to 200 kilometers on a four-hour charge.
According to Roberto Gottfried, co-founder of Megaflux, “Seventy percent of the Taruk’s manufacturing is national. Although we design it here, we have to send it abroad for manufacturing.”
Lithium cells and power electronics are the only imported components.
Mexico Business News reports that “Megaflux produces the motor, while Dina manufactures the body and chassis. With current production capacity, they expect to manufacture between 3,000 and 4,000 units annually.”
From Opportimes: “Taruk means roadrunner in the Yaqui language and is the first Mexican electric bus. MegaFlux, a 100% Mexican company, created and developed this vehicle, as well as its electric battery. The bus is ideal for Mexico’s cities, due to its design adapted to the specific conditions of the country’s urban areas.”
“With a capacity for 60 passengers, the Taruk is ready to circulate in the center of large metropolises, as well as in the outskirts and in the country’s 67 medium-sized cities. Moreover, its local manufacture allows for a more efficient and faster service. This boosts the development of urban infrastructure and offers sustainable mobility with zero emissions.”
Opportimes says “60 passengers” while Mexico Business News says 69 passengers. But if you’ve been on an urban Mexican bus you know that squeezing more passengers on is not a big problem. After all, they don’t all have to sit down!
“Taruk combines technological innovation and economic efficiency. At the same time, it reinforces the commitment to the environment. Thanks to its zero-emission technology, it reduces pollution in cities. It improves air quality and reduces the impact of urban transport on climate change.”
“This clean mobility alternative represents a key advance towards a more sustainable and healthy future. It has also been successfully tested in the Mexico City Passenger Transport Network (RTP).”
There was a public ceremony to present the Taruk. Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard certified the bus as officially “Made in Mexico”.
“At an event held at the Ministry of Economy in Mexico City, Roberto Gottfried, director of MegaFlux, pointed out that the bus was designed and patented in Mexico. Unlike other models, it does not require adaptation of foreign versions.”
“During the ceremony, the Secretary of Economy, Marcelo Ebrard, presented Taruk with the official ‘Made in Mexico’ certification. This recognition reinforces its importance as a national innovation.“
“On the other hand, Claudia Agatón Muñiz, Mayor of Ensenada, confirmed that her municipality will incorporate Taruk units in public transportation. With this measure, she seeks to promote electromobility and strengthen Mexican technology.“
“Altagracia Gómez also highlighted the strategic role of MegaFlux and Gottfried in the development of the project. She also recognized DINA’s trajectory and its alliances with international brands. Finally, Taruk was supported by key institutions such as Conacyt, UNAM and IPN.“
Click here for a short video with clips from the ceremony.
Posted in Transportation
Tagged CONAHCYT, DINA, Marcelo Ebrard, Megaflux, Roberto Gottfried, Taruk electric bus, UNAM
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Trump Tariff on Mexican Beer – Or Just the Beer in Cans?
One needs a scorecard to keep up with the Trump Tariffs.
Mexico was exempt from the tariffs announced on “Day of Liberation”, April 2nd.
However, that didn’t apply to the automotive tariffs which do affect Mexico.
On March 12th, Trump announced tariffs on steel and aluminum which also affect Mexico.
However, on April 2nd, the U.S. Department of Commerce released an addition to the aluminum tariffs which affects Mexican beer (cerveza in Spanish).
Mexico is the biggest beer exporter to the U.S. by far. In 2024, the U.S. imported more than 7.5 billion dollars worth of beer, and 6.3 billion dollars worth of the beverage was from Mexico. In a distant second place was the Netherlands ($683 million), followed by Ireland ($192 million) and Canada ($73 million).
The Department of Commerce document “revises Annex 1 to add two additional aluminum derivative products: beer and empty aluminum cans.” Elsewhere it’s written thusly:
“(1) beer; and
(2) empty aluminum cans”
The tariff takes effect “on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on April 4, 2025.” It’s a 25% tariff.
OK, so “empty aluminum cans” fall under the heading of aluminum imports. But what about “beer”? The beverage itself is not an aluminum derivative.
So would “beer and empty aluminum cans” mean “aluminum cans full of beer and empty aluminum cans”? That would indicate that beer (from Mexico or anywhere) imported in a glass container wouldn’t be subject to the tariffs. Or does it simply mean “beer” in any container which for some reason would be included under the aluminum tariff?
According to CNBC it is only referring to beer in aluminum cans.
From CNBC: “For years, canned beer has been gaining market share against its bottled counterpart. Brewers can produce and transport cans more easily than glass bottles, which are heavier, leading to cheaper prices on canned beer for consumers.”
And, “Industry analysts expect the tariffs on canned beer imports to weigh most heavily on Constellation Brands. Constellation imports all of its beer from Mexico, including Modelo and Corona; beer accounted for 82% of the company’s sales in its most recent qurater. While Corona is best known for coming in glass bottles, Modelo — the bestselling beer in the U.S. — most commonly comes in cans.”
On the other hand, according to Reuters it means beer in any container: “The notice revising Trump’s prior aluminum tariff changes lists only the tariff code for beer made from malt. It makes no mention of a subordinate code for beer imports in glass containers.”
The Brewers Association website reprinted an article from INSIGHTS Express by Beer Marketer’s Insights. Here’s what it said: “Today the Trump Administration said it’s imposing a 25% tariff on all canned imported beer and empty aluminum cans, not just those from Mexico and Canada, per a Federal Register notice from the U.S. Department of Commerce filed hours before the President’s announcements. This document updated Administration’s initial Feb 10 notice on aluminum tariffs and is slated to go into effect on Friday, Apr 4 ‘effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption.’ ”
And, “In the updated notice, both ‘beer’ and ’empty aluminum cans’ were added to a list of derivative products subject to sweeping 25% aluminum tariffs that went into effect last month. But it lists only the tariff code for beer made from malt and ‘makes no mention of a subordinate code for beer imports in glass containers,’ Reuters points out. Any way you slice it, the tariffs will mark a big extra expense for imports and a competitive shift in favor of beer brewed in U.S.”
Why would beer itself be considered an aluminum product? Or was that just a mistake? Or is there some other reason for it?
Trump Slaps Tariffs on the World; Canada and Mexico Exempt from this Round (but not the Automotive Tariffs Set for April 3rd)
On April 2nd, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. was applying tariffs on the world. Trump called it “Liberation Day”.
Trump explained the tariffs with the help of a chart:
First, a baseline of 10% tariff is being charged to all global trading partners, except for Canada and Mexico.
Then there are adjusted reciprocal tariffs. First, the administration calculated the tariffs that each country applied to U.S. exports (encouraging currency manipulation and trade barriers). Then that percentage was cut approximately in half, actually a little bit more than half.
For example, China, according to the administration, charges the U.S. 67% tariffs, so the new tariffs on China are to be 34%. That’s on top of the 20% tariff China is already charged.
The European Union is to be charged 20%, Vietnam 46%, Taiwan 32%, Japan 24%, India 26%, South Korea 25%.
Some countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia and Saudi Arabia are only being charged the 10% baseline.
The Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands, located the southern Indian Ocean, was slapped with 10% tariffs despite being uninhabited and having no imports nor exports. There are many penguins there.
You can see tariff charts here and here.
The 10% baseline tariffs are to take effect April 5th. The adjusted reciprocal tariffs are to take effect April 9th.
Canada and Mexico were exempt from this round of tariffs. But they are currently subject to the automotive tariff scheduled to take effect on April 3rd.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Visits Mexico, Meets with President Sheinbaum
On March 28th, 2025, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (former governor of South Dakota) visited Mexico.
From the Associated Press: “U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem landed in Mexico on Friday [March 28] to cap off a tour to three Latin American nations to discuss immigration, crime and deportation. Noem’s first visit to the region comes as it gains increasing importance to the Trump administration, which is attempting to scale up deportation efforts and warn against migration north. As Noem visited El Salvador and Colombia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Guyana to meet with a number of Caribbean leaders.”
“After being greeted at the airport by Mexico’s foreign minister, Noem met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and other top Mexican officials. The two leaders were photographed sitting next to each other in a meeting room along with other aids and together in front of American and Mexican flags. Sheinbaum’s government has been working to offset tariffs lodged by the Trump administration, which economic forecasters say could thrust the Mexican economy into a recession.”
On Twitter X, Secretary Noem tweeted this summary: “Today, I met with @Claudiashein to discuss Mexico’s role in securing the U.S.-Mexico border. Mexico’s deployment of National Guard troops to the border and acceptance of deportation flights is a positive step, but there is still much work to be done to stop the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants into our country. Our partnership will help make America and the Central American region safe again.”
Here’s what President Sheinbaum tweeted about the meeting [my translation]: “In the Palacio Nacional [building at the top of this page] we received the Secretary of National Security of the United States, Kristi Noem, with whom we had a profitable meeting in the benefit of Mexico and the United States. Our countries maintain a good relation in the framework of respect of our sovereignties.”
Note that Sheinbaum called Noem’s position “Secretary of National Security”, which I guess is a fair characterization of her job.
On Sheinbaum’s Twitter X feed there were some comments about the noticeable height difference between the two women. Here is a photo of the two, posted by President Sheinbaum:
In Sheinbaum’s Twitter X thread, Rigo DM asks “How tall is Kristi Noem?”
Carlos González Baños tweets “What an unfortunate photo. Change advisors, President.”
According to the HowTallis website , Claudia Sheinbaum is five foot four while
Kristi Noem is 5 foot 7 inches.
However, according to the IMDB website, Kristi Noem is 5′ 7½″.