Tag: mexico

Sinaloa Cartel Operator Turned Influencer Gunned Down in Mexico

A former Sinaloa Cartel operator turned social media influencer died Saturday evening after a lone gunman barged into his home and shot him multiple times. The influencer’s murder is believed to be tied to the ongoing turf war between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, which has spilled onto social media and already led to the murder of at least six influencers.

On Saturday evening, at least one gunman barged into the home of Camilo “Pollo Loco” Ochoa in the state of Morelos in Central Mexico. The gunman fired several shots, killing Ochoa instantly, El Sol de Sinaloa reported. By the time authorities responded to the scene, the gunman had fled. Investigators found Ochoa’s bullet-riddled body in his bathroom, wearing the same clothes he had worn earlier in the day during one of his livestreams.

Ochoa received various threats in the past. Earlier this year, Sinaloa Cartel gunmen had posted a photograph of Ochoa along with several other influencers who were supposed to be aligned with the Chapitos faction. At least six influencers on that list have already been killed. The murder comes at a time when the Chapitos faction has been at war for over a year with the Mayiza faction.

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Mexico, under pressure from Trump, transfers 26 more cartel members to US

Mexico sent more than two dozen suspected cartel members to the U.S. on Tuesday, amid rising pressure from President Donald Trump on Mexico to dismantle the country’s powerful drug organizations.

Authorities shipped 26 prisoners wanted in the U.S. for ties to drug-trafficking groups, Mexico’s attorney general’s office and security ministry said in a joint statement.

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Mexico said the U.S. Department of Justice had requested their extradition and that it would not seek the death penalty for the accused cartel members.

The transfer is the second of its kind this year. In February, Mexican authorities sent 29 alleged cartel leaders to the U.S., sparking a debate about the political and legal grounds for such a move.

That Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum permitted yet another large-scale extradition of Mexican nationals underscores the balancing act she faces as she seeks to appease Trump while also avoiding unilateral U.S. military action in Mexico.

In a statement, the U.S. Embassy said among those extradited were key figures in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, which are Mexico’s two dominant organized crime groups.

“This transfer is yet another example of what is possible when two governments unite against violence and impunity,” U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said in a statement. “These fugitives will now face justice in American courts, and the citizens of both our nations will be safer.”

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Mexico rejects US forces in country

Mexico’s president said Friday that U.S. forces would not be allowed to enter her country, responding to reports that President Trump had directed the military to cross the border to fight drug cartels that have been labeled foreign terrorist groups. 

“The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military. We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said to The New York Times. 

“It is not part of any agreement, far from it. When it has been brought up, we have always said no.”

The New York Times reported Trump signed the directive in secret, providing a justification for potential military operations against the criminal organizations. It also reported U.S. military officials have started drawing up plans for how the military could target cartels.

Any unilateral strikes against cartels identified as terrorist groups could also raise legal issues if individuals are killed who do not pose an imminent threat or who are not part of a conflict where Congress has authorized military action.

“President Trump’s top priority is protecting the homeland, which is why he took the bold step to designate several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to The Hill.

In May, the Trump administration offered to send U.S. troops into Mexican territory to fight the cartels. This came after Trump signed an executive order Jan. 20 designating multiple gangs, such as the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Cartel de Sinaloa, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Carteles Unidos, Cartel del Noreste, Cartel del Golfo and La Nueva Familia Michoacana as terrorist groups. 

Sheinbaum rejected the offer while affirming Mexico will collaborate with U.S. authorities in intelligence sharing. 

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Dystopian moment prosecutor is murdered after his Cadillac Escalade was blown up at intersection in broad daylight

Terrifying video footage shows the moment a prosecutor was ambushed and killed in the Mexican border city of Reynosa on Monday.

Ernesto Vázquez was driving his black Cadillac Escalade when a gang of assassins launched their attack on him on Hidalgo Boulevard, brazenly tossing a grenade at the back of the vehicle during afternoon rush hour .

While clearly in agonizing pain, Vázquez was able to get out of the vehicle on his own and crawled across the pavement.

The assailants then pulled up in a white Ford Explorer and opened fire on the defenseless official.

Additional video footage showed prosecutor’s body on the ground as stunned motorists rode past the scene of the attack.

Moments later, a bystander was seen dragging Vázquez away from the blown-up vehicle, which was engulfed in flames.

Vázquez was a prosecutor who joined the Federal Attorney General’s Office in 2019 and was its senior representative at the Tamaulipas State Attorney General’s Office.

The assault took place just four miles from the entrance of the Reynosa-Hidalgo International Bridge that links Reynosa with Hidalgo, Texas and about one mile from the Tamaulipas State Attorney General’s Office headquarters.

Authorities recovered the Ford Explorer around 10pm just blocks away from the attack.

Tamaulipas Governor Américo Villarreal denounced the deadly assault in a statement on X.

‘From the Government of Tamaulipas, we condemn the murder of the Attorney General’s Office Delegate in the state,’ Villarreal wrote. ‘We stand in solidarity with his family and reiterate our full willingness to assist the Attorney General’s Office and the Government of Mexico in the pursuit of justice and the construction of peace.’

The Reynosa Chamber of Commerce president, Gildardo López, told El Norte newspaper that Vázquez’s murder could negatively impact trade with the United States.

‘Our city will fall into a binational trade crisis again,’ he warned.

López added that it is only a matter of time before the U.S. Embassy reveals a travel advisory warning against travel to Tamaulipas.

‘Our city will be commercially paralyzed for a potentially long period,’ he said.

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NGO Claims Mexican Cartel Tied to Mercury Trafficking

A new report from the NGO Environment Investigation Agency (EIA) claims that Mexico’s Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) is trafficking mercury to South America for its use in gold refining. The report comes just weeks after suspected CJNG gunmen stole more than 33 tons of gold concentrate from a mining company along a highway in Jalisco.

In their report Toxic Tons: Traffickers Leave No Stone Unturned, the EIA followed the trail of mercury from central Mexico to South America, where it is used in illegal mining operations. The group claims that the use of mercury for gold mining is a significant environmental polluter, as the mineral is mixed with gold and then exposed to high temperatures during the refining process.

The report highlights a recent takeover of mercury mining operations in central Mexico by alleged members of the Cartel Jalisco New Generation and urges the Mexican government to intervene. The information points to yet one more trafficking business being tied to CJNG, which has been labelled as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government earlier this year.

Since the terrorist designation went into effect, Mexico’s top security officials have been pushing a public relations strategy where they embellish raids and operations to give the appearance of fighting drug cartels. However, as Breitbart Texas has reported, drug bosses continue to operate throughout Mexico with almost complete impunity.

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Leftist WA activist raises $12,000 on GoFundMe for illegal immigrant wanted for murder in Mexico

A GoFundMe campaign raised over $12,000 for an illegal migrant referred to as “Paco,” who was detained last month by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Washington state. The campaign described the illegal immigrant as a friend and a hardworking business owner. However, it has since been revealed that “Paco’s” real identity is Yussef Zarate-Barbon, a Mexican national who is wanted in his home country for homicide.

The online fundraiser, created by leftist activist Carissa Miller, was amplified in a recent news article published in The Olympian, a local newspaper that did not include Zarate-Barbon’s past. Brandi Kruse, an independent journalist and host of the “UnDivided” podcast, was the first to report on the apprehended migrant’s true identity.

The GoFundMe campaign for “Paco” has since been shut down as of Tuesday. It read at the time: “On June 24th my close friend and neighbor, Paco, was abducted by ICE,” the fundraiser read. “He was pulled over while riding passenger and removed from the vehicle without a warrant or receiving any information about why he was being detained.”

“He is currently being held in the NW detention center and still hasn’t been told why he is being held,” the fundraiser continued. “Paco is a local business owner of a mechanic shop in Lacey as well as running a small organic farm, all of this on the books. He was the ‘bread winner’ for his family who are struggling to wrap up loose ends and shut down his business in his absence.”

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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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