Jason Peña, 14, has been in a medically induced coma since he and three other members of his family were attacked on a highway on Dec. 27 in the northwestern state of Durango. Jason is the lone survivor of the attack.

On Thursday, Jason was flown on a private plane to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston where he will receive treatment. “He is in critical condition in ICU and on life support,” his mother, Ana Cabral, said in a post on the fundraising site Spotfund.

Local authorities are investigating the attack, which has generated indignation in the Duranguense community in the Chicago area, according to the newspaper El Siglo de Durango.

A birthday celebration becomes a tragedy

Jason, his father Vicente Peña Jr. and his younger brother drove 3,000 miles from Chicago to the municipality of Santiago Papasquiaro in Durango, where they planned to celebrate Jason’s 14th birthday with family, according to Telemundo Chicago.

Family spokesperson and lawyer Julie Contreras said that two days before the birthday, Jason jumped into his father’s car as his dad, his uncle and a cousin left to buy food and drinks in Santiago Papasquiaro.

When the group had not returned after two hours, Vicente Peña Sr. — Jason’s grandfather — alerted the authorities.

Shortly thereafter, police located the vehicle, an SUV with Illinois license plates, along the Francisco Zarco Highway. All four occupants had been shot; the three adults — Vicente Jr., 38, Antonio Fernández, 44 (Vicente’s brother who flew from Chicago to join the festivities), and Jorge Eduardo Vargas, 22 — were pronounced dead at the scene.

Vicente Jr., Jason and Fernández were all U.S. citizens, Contreras said, and Jason was a student at Prairie Hills Junior High School in Markham, Illinois.

Jason was taken to a public hospital in Durango city, the state capital, but the hospital was not equipped to treat the severe brain injury. Cabral flew to Durango to be with Jason and her other son and began working to fly Jason to Houston for better care and to ensure his safety, Contreras said, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The U.S. State Department told USA Today that they had been in touch with the victims’ families and confirmed that Mexican authorities are conducting an investigation.

Contreras, through her NGO United Giving Hope, worked with the family to arrange for the private plane to carry Jason back to the U.S., while also alerting the public to a fake GoFundMe page that had been opened in Jason’s name.

The boy’s grandfather, Vicente Sr., spoke to Chicago television station WMAQ-TV in Spanish and said the shooting had wrecked their family.

“I feel very devastated because they wiped out my entire family,” he told the outlet. “It was a massacre … because my son was shot four times in the head and once in the shoulder.”

In the statement to USA Today, the U.S. State Department said “Durango, Mexico, has a Level 2 Exercise Increased Caution Travel advisory due to crime.”

The State Department lists Durango among the Mexican states with travel cautions, warning of violent crime and drug activity. Regions in western Durango, where the shooting occurred, are considered so dangerous that U.S. government employees are prohibited from traveling there.

With reports from El Siglo de Durango, Latinus, Chicago Tribune, Telemundo Chicago, USA Today and Fox News

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The Historic Center of Chihuahua city has been included in the national list of Barrios Mágicos (Magical Neighborhoods). In January 2024, the state launched its own Traditional Towns program, with the first edition recognizing and five municipalities: Guerrero, Jiménez, Riva Palacio, Rosales and Allende

Statistics suggest that Chihuahua is one of the fastest-growing regions for nearshoring, along with Coahuila and Nuevo León. For this reason, Chihuahua will host the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals’ (AMPI) national convention next year, which is expected to attract more than 1,200 national and international real estate consultants.

Real estate opportunities in Chihuahua to look out for in 2025

Downtown Chihuahua city

On the corner of Avenida Independencia and Calle Morelos stands the historic building known as La Nacional, constructed in 1940. In its early years, it housed an insurance company. Recognizable by its quarry facade and foyer featuring onyx stone details, this building has been restored while preserving its original design. Some of the building’s apartments are currently for sale, and they are true gems, both for their historical value and modern touches.

Creel

Nestled in the enchanting woods of Creel, Chihuahua — a Pueblo Mágico located in the Sierra Tarahumara, home to the Rarámuri people — this cabin sits on a plot totaling 3,043 square meters. The home spans 91 square meters, is completely new and offers water and electric services. Undoubtedly, the added value of this property lies in its natural setting.

Cuauhtémoc

This classic rustic Mexican home is situated on a single floor. With a total area of 645 square meters and an equal area of construction, this space is filled with light, green areas, wooden floors, skylights and numerous windows. Among other amenities, it features five bedrooms, a foyer with a fireplace and a half bath, a bar, a wine cellar, a laundry room, a garage for three cars, solar panels, a hydropneumatic system and an alarm system. It is located in the third most important city in Chihuahua, known as the land of the three cultures for being the cradle of the Rarámuri, mestizo and Mennonite cultures.

San Felipe

Located in one of the most important neighborhoods of Chihuahua city, the state’s capital, this house is built on a single floor and features a beautiful terrace. It has a construction area of 279 square meters and a total area of 420 square meters and includes three bedrooms, three parking spaces and stunning wood floors. One of its greatest points is an apartment in the back, which is available for remodeling.

Saucito, Chihuahua city

Located in the “commercial, culinary and social heart of Chihuahua,” this loft boasts an attractive design and offers amenities such as a pool on its terrace and a dining room with a view. The space is filled with natural light due to its numerous windows. The building also features a gym and private security, among other facilities.

Villa Valle de Allende

Located Allende, in one of the municipalities recently designated as a Traditional Town by Chihuahua’s tourism authority, this house-apartment is situated in the heart of downtown, which is a gem in itself. The construction spans 193 square meters, with a total area of 229 square meters thanks to its small garden. It features two bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms and a well-thought-out layout.

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Estimates suggest that over 20,000 Mexican immigrants are expected to cross the Texas border this December. Most of them are traveling to the area surrounding Jalpan de Serra, a municipality that serves as the access point to communities in the Sierra Gorda de Querétaro, a region with high levels of migration to the U.S.  

These Mexicans living in the U.S. make a yearly plan to meet in Laredo, Texas, at the southern border of the U.S., to advance as a group toward Mexico. Many told the news agency EFE that traveling as a group makes them feel secure and at home. 

Ariadna Tapia, an immigrant who has been traveling between the U.S. and Mexico for seven years, told the news agency EFE that there is not a single moment when a person feels alone during the trip. She also said the group is escorted by the National Guard. 

“You must consider where you are going to depart from and the requirements to register, but there is support staff all day long (…) It is a safe group. We are protected by the National Guard. From the moment one leaves, one is protected,” she said.

Cars and trucks full of gifts, suitcases, clothes, tools and other items parade through the entrance to Jalpan de Serra to reunite with their loved ones who live in Mexico. At the town’s entrance, they are greeted with a Mexican flag.  

Political climate adds stress to annual holiday return

This year, the migrants’ arrival to Mexico happened amidst recent statements by President-elect Donald Trump promising to carry out a massive deportation of irregular migrants in the U.S. 

Some families in the group, including those with proper documentation, fear that when they leave the U.S. to visit Mexico for Christmas, they may face challenges on their way back.  

Más de 25 mil vehículos de paisanos han cruzado por #NuevoLaredo en esta época decembrina, eligiendo nuestra frontera como su cruce favorito. #JuntosLoHacemosPosible @heroespaisanos @INAMI_mx @Claudiashein @GobiernoMX @Dr_AVillarreal @gobtam pic.twitter.com/l46s9XsAvI

— Carmen Lilia Canturosas (@Carmenliliacrv) December 22, 2024

Aristeo Olvera, one of the organizers of the Christmas convoy, told EFE that authorities on both sides of the country have consistently collaborated and supported efforts to protect the status of Mexican immigrants upon their return to the U.S. following the holidays. 

One of those efforts is the mechanism of a sanctuary city. A sanctuary city or state is a policy that discourages local authorities from reporting the immigration status of individuals unless it involves an investigation of a serious crime.

The city of Laredo was a sanctuary city until Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation banning sanctuary cities in Texas.

Despite the ban, “The government of Laredo, Texas, along with the Tourism Ministry, has always been willing and has made an effort to support us,” Olvera said. 

In November, Los Angeles, California, declared itself a sanctuary city, meaning that it now prohibits the use of city resources to assist federal immigration enforcement in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans. With this declaration, Los Angeles joined 560 cities, counties and jurisdictions in the United States that are “sanctuaries” for migrants. 

With reports from Debate and EFE 

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Nowhere is this beefy goodness more evident than in Chihuahua, Mexico’s largest state by size. Chihuahua has a large cattle inventory and is the leading Mexican beef exporter to the U.S. Its livestock are also a major source of dairy, including two exquisitely melty Mexican cheeses: asadero and the eponymous Chihuahua cheese, a.k.a. queso menonita.

The iconic dish of Chihuahua

Chihuahua’s love of beef supports two different dried beef specialties: carne seca and machaca. The former is a variety of jerky made from salted beef dried in the sun as a preservative to keep the meat from spoiling, a technique also used in the state for items like fruits and grains due to Chihuahua’s short growing season. Machaca, meanwhile, is salted, marinated and cooked before being sundried and pounded flat.

The differences are subtle but bear noting when discussing the state’s signature dish, chile colorado con carne seca. Chile colorado is a kind of stew, although not necessarily served like one. In Chihuahua, the stew typically features guajillo chilis along with seasonings such as garlic, cumin and oregano, with the consistency thickened by wheat flour. The finished delicacy includes carne seca and potatoes and is often scooped into flour tortillas to make tacos. 

Beef, beef and more beef

Given its abundant cattle, it should be no surprise that Chihuahua doesn’t make its barbacoa with lamb like they do, famously, in Hidalgo. They use beef. Nor do the state’s barbecue experts pit cook the meaty specialty, which like chile colorado con carne seca, is best served in taco form. Instead, they cook it in a pot. 

If that sounds suspiciously like a stew, consider that the only thing residents seem to like more than eating beef is adding it to a stew… and then eating it. In addition to the iconic chile colorado, beef stew puchero is likewise a signature state plate. A year-round specialty, puchero utilizes a variety of beef cuts paired with veggies like cabbage, carrot, corn, potato and pumpkin.

The great burrito debate

According to legend and lore, the burrito was born against the backdrop of the Mexican Revolution, during the time of Pancho Villa and his famed División del Norte. Its progenitor is said to have been Juan Méndez, a vendor in Ciudad Juárez who wrapped meat, beans and other ingredients in oversized flour tortillas. This creation became known as the burro, or burrito, after the donkey Méndez rode on his daily route. 

The legend appears to be just that. When Cuban exile author Félix Ramos y Duarte, living in Mexico, penned his “Diccionario de Mejicanismos” in 1895, the burrito was listed and accurately described. Its origin was given as Guanajuato, and while that may not be correct — Ramos y Duarte was not noted as an expert in Mexican culinary history and it has been theorized that he used burrito as a synonym for taco — it still seems the filling favorite was well-known long before Juan Méndez and his burro came upon the scene. 

The wrap-style treats are indeed a specialty in Chihuahua — particularly in Villa Ahumada and Ciudad Juárez, Méndez’s old stomping ground — so the state remains one of the likelier birthplaces, even if its claims are never conclusively proven. Some reports have Méndez pioneering the dish in the late 19th century, which would better fit the known timeline.

The cheeses that pleases

Superb Chihuahua cheeses have been made since the Spanish introduced the cheesemaking process to Mexico in the 16th century. However, the most famous of the state’s pasteurized cow’s milk cheeses wasn’t invented for another four hundred years.

Most of the country knows it as queso Chihuahua, but it’s also called queso menonita, after the Dutch and German Mennonite immigrants who began relocating to Chihuahua during the 1920s. By the end of that decade, the Mennonite population in the state was nearly 10,000. The signature cheeses began appearing widely in the 1930s and have elevated scores of Mexican delicacies ever since.

Asadero is semi-soft rather than semi-hard like Chihuahua cheese. But it, too, is a cow’s milk cheese that melts beautifully and makes almost any meal better. Most commonly associated with Villa Ahumada due to the artistry brought to this specially stretched and kneaded cheese in that municipality, it reaches its most delicious heights when served in quesadillas. The aforementioned stretching process, known as pasta filata in Italian, is similar to the one used for mozzarella and provolone. 

The sotol boom

Chihuahua’s sotol, with over 800 years of history — and maybe far more — is among Mexico’s most ancient spirits. Derived from the shrub known in English as desert spoon, the liquor is produced somewhat like mezcal. The plant’s “heart” is removed, roasted and pressed before fermentation, followed typically by two to three distillations.

Although legally banned between 1944 and 1994, commercial sotol production has returned with a vengeance since, and is one of the drinks touted as “the next mezcal.” That seems unlikely, but sales are on the upswing, increasing 17% in 2022.

Sotol is traditional to Chihuahua, but not exclusive. The government-granted appellation of origin status allows for the spirit to be distilled in Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango. Just like they share many beef dishes Mexico’s northern states share this liquor too.

What’s for dessert?

Apple pie, of course. Chihuahua grows more apples than any other state in the country, accounting for a staggering 85% of the nation’s production.

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The billboards, which began going up on Wednesday along major migrant pathways — mostly in Mexico but also in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — warn that undocumented entry into the U.S. through Texas risks incarceration by U.S. authorities and rape by the traffickers.

One billboard in Spanish translates to “Danger ahead: If you cross into Texas illegally, you will regret it forever.” Another reads: “How much would you pay to have your daughter raped?”

The campaign, which the Republican governor estimated will cost $100,000, is part of Abbott’s broader efforts to combat undocumented crossings along Texas’ 2,018-kilometer border with Mexico — which accounts for two-thirds of the Mexico-U.S. border.

The billboards feature warnings in multiple languages, including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and Russian.

Another message reads: “Your wife and daughter will pay for the trip with their bodies. Coyotes lie. Don’t put your family at risk.” A coyote is an individual or group that facilitates the illegal smuggling of people across borders, often charging significant fees for their services.

“We’re here to expose the truth to immigrants who are thinking about coming here — the truth about the traffickers who assault so many of the women and children along the way,” Abbott said during a Thursday news conference at a private ranch in Eagle Pass, Texas, which can be viewed on the governor’s Facebook page (starting at the 11-minute mark). “Our goal right now, immediately, is not only to discourage them from coming, but to help them understand the consequences.”

The number of migrants caught illegally crossing the Mexico-U.S. border soared to record highs after President Joe Biden took office in 2021. Trump has pledged mass deportations and aggressive border security efforts after he takes office next month.

“There are many people who may make a last-gasp effort,” Abbott said. “The message is: Do not risk a dangerous trip just to be arrested and deported.”

The initiative complements Operation Lone Star, launched in 2021 and which, according to Abbott, has resulted in over 529,000 migrant detentions and nearly 50,000 criminal arrests.

Texas has also allocated 1,400 hectares (acres) of land for detention centers to support Trump’s plans for mass deportations and border wall expansion. “We’d be more than happy to build the wall as long as the federal government pays for it,” Abbott added.

Eagle Pass, Texas — where Abbott spoke on Thursday — was one of the busiest crossing points for illegal migrants a year ago. Then the Texas National Guard installed razor wire, stacked containers and erected other barriers that injure migrants trying to get around them.

According to reports from Human Rights Watch, the operation has caused injuries and deaths of migrants, along with harassment of organizations that provide humanitarian assistance to migrants. The Border Patrol, controlled by the federal government, says that the razor wire cuts off access to the Rio Grande and closes off the spaces needed to process arriving migrants.

However, Abbott’s office points to declines in border crossings as evidence of success.

In a report released Thursday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, it was noted that there has been a “meaningful decrease in unlawful border crossings — including a more than 60% decrease in encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border from May to November.” It tied the decrease to the June 4 Presidential Proclamation on Securing the Border.

“November encounters between ports of entry are now at their lowest level since July 2020,” the release added.

It also noted that “from June 5 through the end of November, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security removed or returned more than 240,000 individuals to over 160 countries, not including CBP repatriations of noncitizens encountered at airports or the northern border.” More than 740 international repatriation flights occurred from June 5 through the end of November, the release noted.

With reports from El País, Reuters, Texarkana Gazette and Fox Texas Digital

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In addition to Sonora’s natural beauty, its rich history also serves as a profound source of inspiration for architectural creation. Old factories, disused warehouses and former prisons provide a canvas on which architects can freely express their creativity.

Follow along for our selection of some of the most original examples of new architecture in Sonora.

Architecture in Sonora: a conversation between the Colonial and the Contemporary 

Sonora House

This residence resembles something out of a fantasy world, showing off a Tim Burton-esque flair while also paying homage to the styles of Mexican architects Luis Barragán and Ricardo Legorreta. The house has gained fame for its originality and its story is equally extraordinary. 

Commissioned by a Mexican family, Russian architects Davit and Mary Jilavyan crafted this creation in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. Over time, the family stepped back from the project, allowing the architects to pursue their vision freely. Its garden, featuring cacti and biznagas, along with irregular windows and enchanting nighttime illumination, creates a perfect blend of surrealism and a lucid dream come to life.

Colegio San José 

A pair of 1950s warehouses pay homage to the grandeur of ancient cellars while intelligently integrating modernity and its technology. Designed by Carte Architects, this space houses the Colegio San José, an educational institution that champions architecture and innovation in Sonora. 

Sustainability is central to the Colegio San José’s design, which includes solar panels for generating electricity, a greywater treatment system for irrigating the school’s gardens and strategically placed roofing for solar protection.

Bar del Parque La Ruina

This establishment has rapidly become an architectural landmark in Sonora. Located in Hermosillo, the state capital, an old textile factory has been revitalized and transformed into a contemporary bar that serves as a hub for events, nightlife and gastronomy. 

A standout feature of La Ruina is its open spaces, which provide views of the sky while preserving the original walls. The design is unique, featuring a marble roof that stretches from wall to wall and aged mirrors framed in wood salvaged from the old factory.

Museo Regional de Sonora

A former prison inaugurated in 1908 now houses the Museo de Sonora, one of the state’s most significant cultural institutions. The building underwent careful restoration in 1982 by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), which has preserved much of the original architecture while providing contemporary restoration elsewhere. 

Today, the museum boasts 18 permanent exhibition rooms, five temporary exhibition rooms and a 130-seat auditorium with 130. Its beautiful stone facade and main hall, which features a glass ceiling, harmoniously blend modern additions with the original architecture.

Museo de Arte de Sonora

Inaugurated in 2009, the 5,000-square-meter building that houses the Sonora Museum of Art (MUSAS) stands as one of the state’s most complete cultural spaces. It includes spacious circulation areas, courtyards, warehouses, workshops, as well as office and residential spaces and six impressive exhibition halls. 

One of its main aesthetic features is the facade, adorned with polymer concrete panels and large transparent windows that create a striking contrast; its curvilinear shape is yet another distinctive element.

Museum and Library of the University of Sonora

Though this Hermosillo building dates back to 1948, its design is as fresh now as it ever was. It is currently the most photographed monument in the city, thanks to its Soviet-inspired architectural style, which also incorporates elements of traditional Arabic-Spanish design. One side of the building reflects functionalist architecture, while the interiors are elegant, showcasing touches of Art Nouveau. This structure is truly a gem.

Ana Paula de la Torre is a Mexican journalist and collaborator for various outlets including Milenio, Animal Político, Vice, Newsweek en Español, Televisa and Mexico News Daily.

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Kimpton, IHG Hotels & Resorts’ luxury and lifestyle brand, is coming to the northern city in 2026 just in time for the World Cup. Monterrey will play host to four World Cup matches.

The property will be situated in the still-under-construction skyscraper Torre Rise, expected to be Latin America’s tallest tower, according to GlobalData, a data analytics and consulting company headquartered in London.

Leanne Harwood, Kimpton’s managing director of luxury and lifestyle, spoke to Global Data about growing the company’s presence within Mexico. “Kimpton Monterrey is poised to bring its distinct perspective, refined style and innovative restaurants and bars to this key international market,” Harwood said.

The new hotel will be owned by the local real estate company Grupo Alora and operated by Monterrey-based Marca Hotel Solutions.

Trade industry publication Upgraded Points reported that the Kimpton Monterrey will have 120 guest rooms and suites, plus 60 private residences. The property promises views of Monterrey’s cityscape and the surrounding mountains. Global Data also reported that hotel guests and residents will have exclusive access to the Torre Rise sky deck, a performance center, an elevated park and luxury retail options.

Among the amenities that will be found on site are an indoor pool, sauna, massage treatment rooms, a full-service restaurant and a lobby lounge. Additionally, Kimpton-specific perks like a daily social hour and pet-friendly policies will be featured.

The new hotel will be Kimpton’s sixth property in Mexico. The company has hotels in Mexico City; Todos Santos, Baja California Sur; and Tulum, Quintana Roo. New properties will open soon in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, and in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City.

The hospitality design publication Hotel & Resort Design South reported that the 2026 World Cup has encouraged many hotel brands to expand into Monterrey. Tru by Hilton opened its new 120-room Tru by Hilton Monterrey Fundidora in 2023, while Thompson Hotels is building the 150-room luxury Thompson Monterrey which is set to open next year.

With reports from Hospitality Net, Global Data, Upgraded Points and Hotel & Resort Design South

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Mexico’s “main bet” in its attempts to transition to cleaner energy is the Plan Sonora renewable energy initiative, Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo said Wednesday during a meeting in Mexico City with federal Energy Minister Luz Elena González Escobar.

Under Durazo, the state has been working closely with the federal government for several years to execute Plan Sonora, a comprehensive energy, development and economic growth plan that would bring the state (and Mexico) foreign investment and greater energy independence as well as, Durazo is betting, turn Sonora into a “Silicon Valley” for clean energy.

The centerpiece of the US $7 billion Plan Sonora is a massive solar park in Puerto Peñasco, located on the northern coast of the Gulf of California just 100 kilometers from Sonora’s border with Arizona.

The aim is for the solar park to provide electricity to new industrial parks in Sonora and more than 160,000 homes. It is already partially operational, but not yet finished.

Authorities also hope that lithium mining will be another big part of Plan Sonora, given that there are large deposits of the sought-after metal in Sonora. However, the deposits are situated in clay, making the lithium difficult to mine. President Claudia Sheinbaum said earlier this month that the state-owned company Litio para México (Lithium for Mexico) is working toward the goal of mining lithium in Mexico.

At their meeting on Wednesday, Durazo and González agreed to keep pushing ahead with renewable energy initiatives in Sonora. Mexico, led by Sheinbaum, a climate scientist, since Oct. 1, is aiming for a 35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Betting on the economic benefits of green energy

In addition to assisting the energy transition in Mexico, Plan Sonora has “a focus on the well-being” of the residents of Sonora, Durazo said.

He said that Plan Sonora is also attracting private investment to Sonora, citing Houston-based company Mexico Pacific Limited’s US $15 billion natural gas project in Puerto Libertad as one example.

A Chinese company, Ganfeng Lithium, has run into problems with the federal government over its plans to mine lithium in Sonora, but the two parties could come to an agreement in the near future. Mexico nationalized lithium in 2022.

Sonora lawmaker Amairany Peña Escalante said this week that Plan Sonora is already making state capital Hermosillo and the port city of Guaymas more competitive. The Mexican Institute for Competitiveness recently ranked Hermosillo as Mexico’s most competitive city among cities with a population between 500,000 and 1 million. Guaymas was ranked as the most competitive city among those with fewer than 250,000 residents.

Peña said that Sonora’s focus on renewable energy projects helped the cities come out on top in their population categories.

Plan Sonora is also expected to help strengthen bilateral relations between Mexico and the United States by encouraging nearshoring investment.

In a social media post on Wednesday, González said that federal and Sonora authorities were continuing to work on projects that “will strengthen regional development and improve the quality of life of businesses and families.”

With reports from Milenio and Reporte Indigo  

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On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department accused the alleged cartel members of using fishing boats to facilitate drug and migrant smuggling under the guise of being commercial fishermen. During these journeys, the U.S. government claims, the boats fish for red snapper, a commercially valuable but ecologically vulnerable species. 

The magazine Newsweek describes the Gulf Cartel as one of the most powerful crime syndicates in Mexico while identifying the northern border cities of Reynosa and Matamoros — both in the state of Tamaulipas and across from McAllen and Brownsville, Texas – as strongholds for the cartel. The boats, U.S. officials said, often launch from Playa Bagdad, east of Matamoros, on the Gulf coast. 

The Department claims transnational criminal organizations rely on a variety of illicit schemes to fund operations. Illegal fishing is one of the latest.

“The Gulf Cartel engages in the illicit trade of red snapper and shark species … based out of Playa Bagdad,” the Department said. “Apart from their use for IUU (illegal, unregulated, or unreported) fishing in U.S. waters, [the boats] are also used to move illicit drugs and migrants into the United States.”

The fishing of red snapper and shark species is strictly regulated in the United States. Because those species are more abundant there, Mexican fishermen cross into U.S. waters.

“They then bring their catch back to … Mexico, where the product is ultimately sold and, oftentimes, exported into the United States,” the Department alleges. “This activity earns millions a year … and also leads to the death of other marine species inadvertently caught by the accused.”

Francisco Javier Sierra Angulo, 35, alias “El Borrado,” was identified by Treasury officials as the prime suspect. Sierra Angulo is believed to be the leader of the Gulf Cartel in Matamoros.

Also named were Raúl Decuir García, 53, alias “La Burra”; Ildelfonso Carrillo Sapien, 48, alias “El Chivo”; and brothers Ismael “Mayelo” Guerra Salinas, 35, and Omar “Samorano” Guerra Salinas, 38.

The Guerra Salinas brothers allegedly run the Gulf Cartel’s operations in Playa Bagdad. The other two suspects operate the fishing boat company.

With reports from Newsweek, CBS News and El País

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The Mexican NGO publishes the rankings annually.

This year, Saltillo, Coahuila; Hermosillo, Sonora; La Paz, Baja California Sur; and Guaymas, Sonora – all located in the north of Mexico – won the overall top spot for competitiveness in 2024 in one of IMCO’s four city-size categories.

The size categories range from cities with 1 million residents to cities with populations of under 250,000.

The four top cities excelled in a long list of competitiveness indicators that included, among other things, innovation, education offerings, patent registration, economic diversification, growth dynamism, and the size of their mortgage market. 

Sonora was the only state with two cities in top spots. 

Every year, IMCO conducts the Urban Competitiveness Index (ICU) to assess the performance of and challenges faced by cities in Mexico.

The ICU evaluates 66 cities, which in total are home to over 62% of Mexico’s population. IMCO uses 35 indicators grouped into six sub-indices.

Here’s a look at which cities won and why:

Cities with over 1 million residents: Saltillo, Coahuila 

Saltillo beat out 20 cities in its size category, including the nation’s capital, Mexico City.

Saltillo’s number one ranking is attributed to its low incidence of homicides and vehicle theft, its booming labor market and its having one of the highest rates of perceived security among residents.  

Key areas for improvement that IMCO cited for Saltillo included its low number of health personnel (it ranked No. 56 in this criteria out of all 66 cities competing), its wastewater treatment capacity, and its extent of educational coverage.

Runners-up just behind Saltillo were Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara.

Cities with over 500,000 residents: Hermosillo, Sonora 

Hermosillo ranked at the top of its category thanks to its solid labor market and its number of research centers relative to the size of the city’s economically active population.

IMCO also found Hermosillo to have the lowest percentage of households relying on water from external sources, such as water tanker trucks.

Key areas of opportunity for Hermosillo IMCO cited included increasing the construction of vertical housing and more sustainable water consumption.

Cities with between 250,000 and 500,000 residents: La Paz, Baja California Sur

La Paz won its size category in part due to having one of the highest monthly salaries for full-time employees and the highest number of research centers relative to the size of its economically active population. It also ranked high on rates of perceived security among residents and rates of hotel occupancy. 

However, La Paz still faces challenges, namely electricity generation costs and infant mortality: in both these categories, La Paz ranked No. 65 out of the 66 competing cities.

Cities with less than 250,000 residents: Guaymas, Sonora

The other Sonora municipality that topped its category, the port city of Guaymas won the top spot thanks to its number of research centers and its superior educational coverage for residents under 15, IMCO said. It also featured the smallest gender income gap.

Guaymas’ areas of opportunity, according to IMCO, included lowering its homicide rate and reducing the number of transport-related accidents in the city.

Mexico News Daily

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