Cinco de Mayo

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Allan Wall

Cinco de Mayo – May the 5th, is the Mexican holiday celebrating the Mexican victory over the French army on May the 5th, 1862, at Puebla, east of Mexico City.

Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day, as many erroneously think. That’s September 16th (and the night before).

And actually, Cinco de Mayo is not that big a deal in Mexico.

 The city of Puebla holds a big annual celebration on the anniversary of the battle.  But in most of Mexico, Cinco de Mayo is not an important holiday. It’s mostly a bank holiday and a day off from school. 

In the United States Cinco de Mayo has become, in recent years, the major Mexican – American celebration, celebrated by others also. Throughout the Southwest, and in other parts of the U.S., there are various Cinco de Mayo celebrations – parades, mariachi music performances , and exhibitions of  Mexican dancing.etc . Cinco de Mayo is also a big beer-drinking day.

Cinco de Mayo in St. Paul, Minnesota. Source: Rena Dehler

The Cinco de Mayo  battle was a part of a longer conflict called the French Intervention, which lasted from 1862 to 1867. The  French military occupied Mexico and fought the republican government of President Benito Juarez.
          
French Emperor Napoleon III saw France as the protector of the Latin peoples, and had an ambitious plan to establish Mexico as a bulwark against the United States.
          
France invaded Mexico during the U.S. Civil War, which rendered the U.S. military unable to intervene.  Part  of the French emperor’s plan was a linkup with the Confederacy, thus neutralizing U.S. ability to thwart the French strategy .

On May 5th, 1862, north of the city of Puebla, the French Army, under General Charles de Lorencez fought the  Mexican army,  under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza.

Ignacio Zaragoza. Source: Museo de Historia Mexicana

A number of legends have grown up around this famous battle.

A popular view is that the Mexican army was composed of sturdy peasants armed with machetes, who defeated a vastly superior invasion force.   Another story says the French were trampled by a cattle stampede.

But even if there were machete-wielding peasants and a cattle stampede, they were not decisive to the battle’s outcome.  The truth is, General Zaragoza won the battle using sound military strategy and tactics.

Batalla de Puebla by Francisco P. Miranda. Source: INEHRM

The Mexican Army of 1862  was  a fully-equipped 19th-century European-style military.  At Puebla, Zaragoza had under his command regular infantry, artillery and cavalry. The Mexican troops were seasoned veterans of the recent War of the Reform (1857-1861).

It’s true that the French Army outnumbered the Mexican Army, but not by much.   The French had 6,040 troops, and the Mexican army had 4,500 regular troops, and possibly additional volunteers (maybe  those guys with machetes).

The Mexican Army was on the hills, and the French had to fight uphill, never an enviable position to be in. Each army had the same quantity of cannon.

The French Army tried and failed to assault the Mexican positions thrice, and by the third assault  their cannon had run out of ammunition.   So French troops had to attack without artillery support.  After the third failure, they retreated, harassed by Mexican cavalry, and then it started to rain.

So Mexico won the battle , and  Zaragoza sent a one-line  report to President Juarez:  “The national arms have been covered with glory”.   The young general died only 4 months later, succumbing in September of 1862 to typhoid fever.

The 1862 Battle of Puebla was not the end of the French Intervention, which continued until 1867.  Besides the determined opposition of Benito Juarez’ republican army, the French also faced U.S. pressure (after the Civil War had ended) and the Prussian threat back in Europe. 

So Napoleon III called it quits in Mexico and withdrew the French Army.

The  1862 Battle of Puebla  had been a great morale booster for Mexico, and is still the most famous battle of the war, by far .

Nowadays, a tourist can visit the site of the 1862 Battle of Puebla, as my wife and I did once.  The principal Mexican defensive positions, the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe, are now  part of a park in the city of Puebla.  

As we walked in what is now a pine-covered park , it was quiet and peaceful, a far cry from the clamor of battle on May the 5th, 1862.

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According to President Sheinbaum, in First 100 Days of Trump, Nearly 39,000 Deported from U.S. to Mexico

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Allan Wall

According to President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, in the first 100 days of the U.S. Trump administration, there were nearly 39,000 deported from the U.S. to Mexico. Of that, nearly 33,000 of them were Mexicans.

From Fox News: “Mexico has received nearly 39,000 deportees from the United States in the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s administration, according to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.  More than 33,000 of the deported immigrants were Mexican nationals, Sheinbaum said on Tuesday [April 29] during her regular morning press conference.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. Source: Luis Barron

More from Fox: “ ‘Since President Trump’s administration began, 38,757 have been deported [from the U.S. to Mexico], of which 33,311 are Mexicans and 5,446 are foreigners,’ Sheinbaum said. ‘The majority of people who are returning to Mexico are Mexicans, because the U.S. government, through the Department of State, has agreements for them to return directly to their countries,’ Sheinbaum continued.”

“For ‘humanitarian reasons,’ Mexico has ‘decided to accept people of other nationalities, particularly those who come from the northern border ‘ by land, the Mexican president said. Fewer deportees of other nationalities were arriving in Mexico because the U.S. government has agreements with ‘practically all of those countries, and so they send the planes directly to the countries where they are citizens,’ Sheinbaum said.”

“The Mexican president said most of the Mexicans were flown from the U.S. and that the majority of the foreigners accepted back into Mexico have since ‘voluntarily’ chosen to return to their home countries.”

“Mexican data shows that Mexico accepted approximately 52,000 deportees from the U.S. in February, March and April of last year, according to Reuters. Mexico, therefore, accepted fewer deportees from the U.S. from the start of Trump’s second term compared to the same time period last year under former President Joe Biden’s administration.”

“U.S.-Mexico border crossings have slowed under the Trump administration, as migrants – deterred by Trump’s promised border crackdown and mass deportation plans – have increasingly abandoned their journeys north through Mexico and returned home, according to Reuters.“

See my previous article here: In Tijuana, Drastic Drop in the Migrant Population.

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In Tijuana, Drastic Drop in the Migrant Population

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Allan Wall

The Trump administration, which took office January 20th, has drastically reduced the quantity of border crossers from Mexico to the United States.

In March of 2025 the Border Patrol caught 7,181 border crossers and that was a 95% decrease from the 137,473 detained in March of 2024.

As a result, the quantity of migrants in northern Mexico has greatly dropped.

An effective way to gauge this drop in the migrant population is to look at migrant shelters in Mexico.

Mundo Misionero shelter. Source: The World website

An article on The World website has reported on the situation in the city of Tijuana, across the border from San Diego, California.

From The World: “Just across the border from San Diego, the Mexican city of Tijuana has long been a crossroads for migrants seeking a new life in the United States, with families filling local shelters, parks and hotels while they wait for a chance to cross the border. But in recent months, the migrant population across northern Mexico has drastically declined.“

The article quotes two directors of migrant shelters: “Pat Murphy of La Casa del Migrante and Albert Rivera, who runs another shelter.”

The occupancy rate of La Casa del Migrante went down 70% in just a few months. Murphy said that “[The migrants] stopped coming because they have no hope for asylum right now,”

Albert Rivera’s migrant shelter has the capacity to house 1,300 migrants. The article reports that “Just over a year ago, every corner of the space was packed, [Rivera] said, with tents filling the basketball court. Now, Rivera points to unused bunk beds and an industrial kitchen empty at meal time. Only 31 people are now sheltering there. Rivera said that many migrants who remain in Mexican border cities are among the most vulnerable, especially those targeted by organized crime and who, under normal circumstances, would qualify for asylum.”

Nor are the migrant shelters receiving hordes of deportees from the United States.

From The World: Many shelters in border cities were expecting to receive massive numbers of deportees from the US…The Mexican government, preparing for eventual mass deportations, launched the “Mexico te abraza” (“Mexico Embraces You”) program, and put together massive tents in a dozen cities along its northern border to provide food, shelter, medical services and psychological support to potential deportees.  In Tijuana, the government rented the Flamingos Eventos hall with capacity to host 2,500 people. But only about 100 Mexicans are being deported to Tijuana every day, mostly people who just tried crossing the border and who find their way back to their home states. But shelters remain on alert, preparing for any shifts in migration patterns that may arise from evolving policies and global events.​

Isn’t this a good thing for the migrant aid organizations? Now they don’t have to take care of so many people. But Rivera and Murphy are complaining.

From The World: “Organizations devoted to helping migrants on both sides of the border are also facing financial hardships. The Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid has further strained resources, leading to the suspension of vital programs. ‘We lost about 40% of our budget thanks to all the cuts that Trump has made,’ Murphy said. ‘And we have just begun to tell people we can no longer afford to pay them.’ He said he hopes to keep the place operational with a skeleton staff because, despite the current lull, concerns loom over potential future surges.”

And, “Albert Rivera, the evangelical pastor, said that his shelter is also at risk of closing and he worries that future migrants or deportees could be left without the resources they need. Rivera, a US citizen, said he wants Trump to know that he voted for him. ‘I was hoping he could crack down on organized crime and human smugglers that control this area,’ he explained. But now, he said, he’s regretting it: ‘I didn’t vote for this.’ “

Murphy and Rivera have less money so support their shelters but at the same time they have fewer migrants to serve.

I guess they need to figure out how much they need each month and alert their donors.

In the big picture, not having hordes of migrants passing through Mexican border cities ought to be good for Mexico.

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Chipotle Incorporated Plans to Expand to Mexico

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Allan Wall

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is a restaurant chain deriving its name from “chipotle”, a smoke-dried jalapeno chili pepper.

The corporation was founded by Steve Ells in 1993 in Denver, Colorado. It has done quite well, has several thousand restaurants and is now headquartered in California. Besides having restaurants in the United States, it has expanded to Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Chipotle symbol. Source: Chipotle

Now the company has an ambitious plan of expanding to Mexico. But it might not be easy as one thinks for a U.S. Mexican restaurant chain to do so. Taco Bell tried it twice and failed.

NBC recently reported that Chipotle Inc. “has signed a development agreement with Alsea, which operates Latin American and European locations of Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza and Burger King, among other chains.”

The plan is to open a Chipotle in Mexico in 2026. Then the company would explore other “expansion markets in the region”.

According to NBC, “…U.S. interpretations of Mexican food don’t always resonate in the market; Yum Brands’ Taco Bell has twice attempted to expand into Mexico, but both efforts failed quickly.”

Is Chipotle going to be successful in Mexico? We have to wait and see.

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¡Felices Pascuas!

Posted on April 20, 2025 by Allan Wall

¡Felices Pascuas!

¡Felices Pascuas!
Picture Source: Zbolotnova
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Wanted Posters for Mexican Narco Brothers

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Allan Wall

Remember the old Wanted posters from the Old West? Here is a Wanted Poster offering a reward for the Dalton Brothers.

Wanted Poster for Dalton Brothers. Source: News Dog Media

In our day and age, Wanted Posters are still used. For Mexican narcos, for example.

On April 15th the U.S. government offered rewards for information leading to the capture of the Hurtado Olascoaga Brothers.

These guys are the bosses of 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:

Hurtado Olascoaga Wanted Posters. Source: U.S. Government

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.


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The Mexican Music Market, Narcocorridos and Freedom of Speech

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Allan Wall

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.

Los Alegres del Barranco. Source: Mexico Daily Post

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”.

Luis R. Conriquez, 2024, California. Source: Billboard

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.”

Chaos at the Concert. Source: Reforma

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.”

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President Sheinbaum Attends CELAC Summit. What is CELAC and Why Did China Have a Delegation There?

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Allan Wall

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 “The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States”. The acronym CELAC is based on Spanish, in which it is the Comunidad de Estados Latinoamericanos y Caribeños.

CELAC Symbol. Source: Wikipedia

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.

President Sheinbaum Arrives to the CELAC Summit. Source: Mexican Presidential Website

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…


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Ronald Johnson Confirmed by Senate as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Allan Wall

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.

Ronald D. Johnson. Source: U.S. State Department

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.

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U.S. Companies in Mexico Targeted by Mexican Drug Cartels

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Allan Wall

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.

Michael Ballard of Global Guardian. Source: CBS 42


“ ‘(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.”

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