Tag: mexico

Mexico Mandates Biometric Digital ID by 2026

Mexico has formally mandated the use of a new biometric-based digital ID system, making compulsory a previously voluntary identification mechanism known as the Unique Population Registry Code, or CURP.

Under the new law, CURP IDs will now incorporate detailed personal biometric records, including fingerprints, iris scans, and photographs embedded within a QR code.

The government plans a phased rollout, expecting full nationwide adoption by February 2026.

Historically, CURP codes facilitated everyday interactions such as filing taxes, registering companies, school enrollments, and applying for passports.

Accompanying this shift is a broader initiative to consolidate multiple government databases into a single Unified Identity Platform. Within 90 days, the Ministry of the Interior and the Digital Transformation Agency must launch the unified platform, which will be integrated into various public and private institutions’ databases.

Additionally, a separate program aimed at systematically collecting biometric data from minors is slated to commence within 120 days.

Despite the obvious privacy concerns, Mexican authorities argue that existing privacy legislation already sufficiently guards against unauthorized surveillance or misuse of sensitive data.

President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to privacy concerns earlier this month, clarifying, “A wiretap can only be approved by a judge, according to the Constitution and the law,” though that doesn’t placate concerns about data breaches and the wider introduction of a checkpoint society.

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Mexicans in US can avoid remittance tax with government Finabien cards, Sheinbaum says

President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday promoted a government bank card that can help Mexicans living in the United States avoid the new remittance tax.

Sheinbaum recommended the new services available with the Finabien bank card, originally created in 2024 by the federal government’s Financial Institution for Well-being (Finabien), brandishing a card for the cameras during her morning press conference.

“It’s a very simple way to send remittances electronically and avoid making cash transfers,” Sheinbaum said.

The newest service offers direct deposit operations, allowing cardholders’ wages to be sent directly to the card by employers or transferred using authorized institutions. Additionally, remittances can be made more economically and will allow cardholders to circumvent the U.S. remittance tax, the president said.

The new tax — which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026 — is a federal excise tax applied directly to outbound money transfers. Essentially, it is a fee charged across the board to each person who sends funds out of the U.S.

The Finabien card can be acquired at 53 consulates in the U.S., by mail or via digital application at miconsulado.sre.gob.mx. And accounts can be accessed at 1,700 sites in Mexico.

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President Claudia Sheinbaum May Sue ICE over Mexican Farmworker Who Died During Immigration Raid

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is considering legal action against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency after a Mexican farmworker fell to his death during an immigration raid in California.

Jaime Alanís Garcia was hospitalized and ultimately passed away after falling off a roof during an ICE raid in Caramillo, California.

ABC7 wrote:

Federal agents clashed with protesters during the immigration raid at the farm in Ventura County, one of at least two large-scale raids in Southern California on July 10.

Garcia’s family said he fell about 30 feet off a building while he was possibly trying to run from federal agents. Garcia suffered a broken neck and skull.

The tragic situation led Sheinbaum to say that they are considering legal options.

“We are supporting the family, we are in contact with them, and we’re also exploring the possibility of filing a complaint (in the U.S.) because this is unacceptable,” Sheinbaum said during a press conference.

She added, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently reviewing the matter. It is very unfortunate that this happened. All our solidarity and support go to the family, and there must not be another case like this one. That’s why the complaint must be filed in the courts over there.”

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Mexican illegal alien charged after staging fake ‘ICE abduction’ to garner financial donations and sympathy

The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced charges against an illegal alien from Mexico after she purportedly orchestrated a fake kidnapping by federal agents in an attempt to generate sympathy and financial donations.

41-year-old Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, who is now in U.S. immigration custody, is being charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers.

The fabricated “incident” initially garnered media attention after Calderon’s family held a press conference on June 30th, claiming that she had been abducted by ICE “bounty hunters” at gunpoint from a Los Angeles Jack in the Box location.

At the time, the family went on to claim that she was eventually taken to the U.S.-Mexico border and was told to “self deport.” During the press conference, the family’s lawyer argued that she had refused to sign self-deportation paperwork and was thus forcefully taken to a “warehouse at an undisclosed location” with other detainees — until she was willing to sign the paperwork.

The family then set up a fundraising page, requesting $4,500, according to the DOJ.

Despite the family’s claim, the federal agents began looking for Calderon after she reportedly never appeared in official records of having been in immigration custody, according to the DOJ.

However, agents later discovered Calderon at a shopping mall in Bakersfield, California.

“Dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are ‘kidnapping’ illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents,” stated United States Attorney Bill Essayli.

“The conduct alleged in today’s complaint shows this hoax ‘kidnapping’ was a well-orchestrated conspiracy. The defendant and all those involved will face the full consequences of their conduct under federal law. I thank our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and all federal agents facing unprecedented levels of assaults for once again providing cool heads and professionalism during these difficult times,” he added.

A Justice Department press release revealed that federal authorities obtained video surveillance footage of Calderon leaving the Jack in the Box parking lot and entering into a nearby sedan, “as well as telephone records demonstrate Calderon fabricated the entire story.”

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Why Mexicans Are Protesting Mass Immigration

Many Mexicans have similar complaints about American immigrants as Americans do about Mexican immigrants.

Earlier this month, a major city saw a xenophobic protest against immigrants. Those gathered hurled ethnic slurs at the foreigners. Someone spray-painted “not your home” on a wall. One sign read, “Respect my culture.” Complaints included the influx driving up housing prices and foreigners not speaking the native language. At some point, the demonstration turned violent, with some participants vandalizing local businesses.

If that protest had happened in Dallas or Jacksonville, the left would be outraged. They’d blame President Donald Trump. They’d attack Republicans for being racist. They’d smear conservatives as violent, Christian nationalists.

That’s harder to do in this case. This protest was in Mexico City, and the protesters were Mexicans. They’re upset about the many Americans and other foreigners who’ve settled in their city, especially with the advent of remote work. Mexican officials actively encouraged this immigration.

In 2022, Claudia Sheinbaum, then-mayor of Mexico City, worked with Airbnb to tout Mexico City as the “capital of creative tourism.” Sheinbaum, currently the president of Mexico, claimed the arrangement wouldn’t increase costs for Mexico City residents. Locals are now complaining about gentrification and the increasing number of apartments that are being converted into Airbnb rentals.

Foreign money has shifted both the local economy and culture. Some corner grocery stores have become high-end restaurants. Many foreigners expect the Mexican waiters to speak to them in English. One study found housing prices in Mexico City quadrupled between 2000 to 2022, even while per capita income fell after adjusting for inflation. Little wonder many residents feel priced out of their own city.

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Pfizer bribery probe dropped after ex-company lawyer Pam Bondi takes over DOJ in February 2025.

The DOJ dropped its Pfizer bribery probe in China and Mexico soon after Pam Bondi, a former Pfizer legal consultant, became Attorney General in February 2025. The investigation’s closure, evident from Pfizer’s latest filings, has raised concerns about Bondi’s influence and DOJ impartiality.

For the past several years, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has been under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for potential foreign corruption violations related to its activities in China and Mexico, according to the company’s financial filings.

But that appears to have changed after the Trump administration tapped Pam Bondi — previously an outside legal counsel for Pfizer — to lead the Justice department as attorney general.

In the company’s most recent annual report, filed three weeks after Bondi took office in early February, there was no longer any reference to the Justice Department investigations into the company’s potential violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act. A quarterly a report in May also contains no reference to these investigations.

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El Salvador Recalls Ambassador To Mexico Over Drug Plane Allegations

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said on July 9 that he was recalling El Salvador’s ambassador to Mexico for consultations after Mexico’s security chief claimed that a plane allegedly carrying cocaine had originated in El Salvador.

In a social media post, Bukele called the accusation false and urged Mexico to clarify and correct comments by Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch, who said during a press conference that the July 3 flight had come from El Salvador before it was intercepted in Colima, Mexico.

Bukele shared an image of the flight path and said tracking data showed the plane never entered Salvadoran airspace.

The president said Costa Rica reported a suspicious radar trace northwest of its territory on July 3.

“It was Costa Rica that activated the regional alert through APAN, a Central American air security network,” Bukele said.

“According to its own report, the aircraft’s trace entered Costa Rican airspace, briefly disappeared from radar, and then reappeared as it exited toward the Pacific. Our radars did not register any aerial contact within our airspace … Their report is clear: the aircraft flew over the Pacific Ocean and never entered Salvadoran territory.”

Bukele also criticized the Mexican government for not making public that three Mexican men were arrested over the flight.

“El Salvador does not shield criminals nor tolerate drug trafficking. We didn’t before, and we won’t now,” he said. “Nor will we allow attempts to involve us in operations that are neither our responsibility nor within our jurisdiction.”

Mexican authorities previously said three people were onboard the flight. They were arrested in Colima after 940 lb (427 kg) of cocaine was allegedly seized from the plane after landing.

Within hours of the post, Garcia Harfuch responded to Bukele on the social media platform X, saying that Mexican authorities first detected the plane about 200 km (120 miles) south of San Salvador, after which it ordered the military to intercept the suspicious flight. The map he posted also showed the plane’s route, although incomplete, over the Pacific Ocean.

Garcia Harfuch acknowledged that the men were Mexican and said they were facing criminal charges.

“We reiterate our respect and appreciation for the people of El Salvador,” he added.

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US Orders “Immediate Shutdown” Of Mexican Cattle Trade After Cross-Border Parasitic Fly Threat

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has ordered the immediate suspension of all live cattle, bison, and horse imports from Mexico via the southern border. The move comes in response to a newly confirmed case of New World Screwworm in Mexico—a highly destructive parasite that poses a massive threat to U.S. livestock and the broader food supply chain.

“I have ordered an immediate shutdown of live cattle, bison, and horse trade through the southern U.S.–Mexico border,” Rollins wrote on X, adding, “This decisive action comes after Mexico confirmed another case of New World Screwworm in Veracruz. As promised, @USDA remains vigilant to ensure the protection of America’s livestock and food supply.” 

She quoted a U.S. Department of Agriculture press release that announced the trade suspension, which signals heightened biosecurity concerns within the USDA and reflects a zero-tolerance posture toward potential cross-border parasitic threats.

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Gunmen Hijack 33 Tons of Gold, Silver Concentrate in Truck on Mexican Highway

Authorities in Mexico are remaining tightlipped about how a team of gunmen was able to hijack a truck carrying 33 tons of gold and silver concentrate. The high-stakes robbery comes as Mexico’s government continues to claim that public safety is improving and that the country is safe.

The robbery took place on Monday when a tractor-trailer carrying minerals was traveling from the Mexican state of Durango to the Port of Manzanillo in Colima State, where it was expected to be shipped out. However, while the truck was moving through the state of Jalisco, a group of gunmen in at least two vehicles intercepted the truck, overpowered the security detail, and kidnapped the driver.

According to information released by Grupo Bacis, the mining company that owned the precious metals, the gunmen held the security detail and driver for almost two hours while they stealing the cargo. After the gunmen released the victims, they made their way to a nearby tollbooth where they asked for help.  Mexican authorities were able to find the tractor-trailer soon after, but the cargo was gone. The company has not placed a value on the stolen cargo; however, it is expected to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

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American with ‘CIA’ credentials and variety of weapons arrested in Mexico

An American national with credentials that read “CIA” has been arrested in Mexico on weapons charges, Mexican authorities said Saturday. 

The unidentified man was arrested “for his probable involvement in the crimes of disturbing the peace and possession of weapons designated for exclusive use by the Army,” according to the Secretariat of Security of the State of Mexico.

Authorities found six firearms, magazines, live ammunition and tactical equipment, the agency said.

“The individual was carrying a credential with the inscription ‘CIA’,” authorities wrote on X.

Images posted by the security agency showed rifles, handguns, tactical vests, helmets, pocket knives and ammunition. 

The State Department told Fox News that it was aware of reports of the man’s arrest. 

An agency spokesperson said it has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad.

​’When a U.S. citizen is detained abroad, the department works to provide consular assistance,” the spokesperson said.

Mexican authorities have not disclosed any additional details about the man’s arrest or why he was in the country. 

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