The property, known as El Paraíso, is in Atlacholoaya, roughly a 35-minute drive south of Cuernavaca, the Morelos state capital.

will house three entities: a technological agricultural high school; a center for traditional medicine; and an office of a 2-year-old state agency that promotes and supports Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities.

The school, known by its Spanish initials CBTA, is intended to address a longstanding demand for secondary education infrastructure in the area. Its curriculum will be tied to traditional medicine and ancestral knowledge held by Morelos’ Indigenous communities.

Construction and renovation work is expected to begin in the coming weeks.

Authorities seized the property after Valdez’s former associate Arturo Beltrán Leyva was killed by Mexican Navy personnel in a 2009 raid of a Cuernavaca apartment complex.

The leader of the Beltrán Leyva organization at the time, Beltrán and his brothers had been senior figures in the Sinaloa Cartel before breaking away.

The ranch was later transferred to Indep, the federal agency that administers and disposes of assets seized by the government.

The National Lottery offered El Paraíso as one of 22 prizes in a 2021 raffle that also included drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán’s former safe house, homes, land and a luxury box at Estadio Azteca. The money raised was to support federal social programs, such as assistance for Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

More than 773,000 tickets sold nationwide for 250 pesos each (about US $12.60 at that time), and a woman from Jojutla in southern Morelos won the ranch.

However, Nereida Morales declined to take possession, citing the ranch’s deterioration and the maintenance costs. She later agreed to sell the property to the Morelos government for an undisclosed price.

The property was valued at 61.43 million pesos (US $3.1 million) for the lottery drawing.

Valdez, 53, was born in Laredo, Texas, in 1973. Nicknamed “La Barbie” for his blond hair and blue eyes, he was arrested in Mexico in 2010 and extradited to the United States in 2015.

He pleaded guilty to four drug-trafficking counts and one money-laundering count and in 2018 was sentenced to 49 years and one month in federal prison.

Court records later showed that Valdez had provided information to U.S. authorities while he was still a trafficker, including allegations that officials in former President Felipe Calderón’s administration had aided drug cartels.

In 2022, the Bureau of Prisons said Valdez was no longer in its custody but declined to disclose his location. That prompted speculation he was cooperating with U.S. authorities, but officials never confirmed that. A 2025 Justice Department release continued to list his 49-year sentence.

With reports from Animal Político and Diario de Morelos

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During her Tuesday morning press conference, Sheinbaum said she believes Mexico needs data centers to develop artificial intelligence (AI) but opposes becoming a “global data center” to meet external demand.

“We do need to have data centers to advance in artificial intelligence, but Mexico does not necessarily have to be the data center for other parts of the world, because it requires high energy and water consumption,” Sheinbaum said. 

In Querétaro — which continues to lead AI expansion in Mexico — the debate has intensified precisely due to the potential pressure on strategic resources.

When asked about alleged power outages that had stalled data center investments in Querétaro, Sheinbaum cited reports from the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) showing such complaints have decreased. She also noted that investment is needed primarily in transmission and distribution, rather than in generation.

New data center facilities continue to arrive in the state, as well as in other parts of the country.

Indeed, according to market research firm Arizton, by January of this year, Mexico hosted some 47 data centers, mainly located in Querétaro, Mexico City and Guanajuato, with 12 more in the pipeline. 

Just last week, KIO Data Centers announced it would invest up to US $1.3 billion to develop a new data center in Querétaro with the objective of meeting regional demand for cloud and AI infrastructure.

Although Sheinbaum acknowledged that data centers play an important role in the country’s modernization, their contribution to employment is low and their environmental impact is high.

“[Data centers] do generate economic growth, but with very little job creation and high consumption of natural resources,” Sheinbaum said, adding that her government is also prioritizing other sectors, such as manufacturing, which generate more jobs and place less pressure on natural resources.

Sheinbaum stressed that Mexico should develop the data centers it needs for AI through careful planning that considers the country’s technology needs, electricity infrastructure, natural resource constraints and job creation, rather than be driven by global demand. 

With reports from La Jornada and Infobae

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The CJNG responded to the federal operation by blocking highways in Michoacán at more than 20 points, including by setting vehicles on fire, but most, if not all, of the narco-blockades had been cleared by early Wednesday afternoon.

The Ministry of National Defense (Defensa) said in a statement that “nine members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel” were arrested in Tinaja de Vargas and Colesio, towns in the municipalities of Tanhuato and Ecuandureo, respectively. Those municipalities are located in northwestern Michoacán near the state’s border with Jalisco.

Defensa said that Mexican Army special forces and the National Guard carried out the operation in Michoacán “in coordination with” the federal Security Ministry, the Federal Attorney General’s Office and the Mexican Navy. Military intelligence work facilitated the location of the suspects.

Defensa said that Marisol “N” and Lourdes “N” were among the nine people arrested. The ministry said that the former has been identified as a daughter of Heraclio “N” (Heraclio Guerrero Martínez) while the latter has been identified as his “romantic partner.”

Defensa said that Guerrero, known as “Tío Lako,” is a CJNG “regional boss” in Michoacán and Jalisco. It also said he is “responsible for ordering attacks on National Guard troops” on Feb. 22, 2026, after the arrest of former CJNG leader Rubén “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, who was fatally wounded by military personnel during the operation to capture him.

Wednesday morning’s operation apparently targeted Guerrero, but the alleged cartel boss managed to avoid arrest.

Defensa said that two properties were secured during the operation and authorities seized 64 vehicles, one of which was armored; five machine guns; nine long guns; a handgun; two grenade launcher attachments; ammunition and magazines; drugs; eight improvised explosive devices; seven motorcycles; a drone; and tactical equipment.

The ministry said that the nine detained suspects were flown by a Mexican Air Force helicopter to Mexico City, where they were handed over to the Federal Attorney General’s Office.

Narco-blockades in Michoacán

Defensa noted that there were “various interruptions” to highways in Michoacán after the nine alleged CJNG members were arrested. Civilian and military authorities consequently activated “the Anti-blockade Plan” in order to “guarantee freedom of movement” in the state, the ministry said.

Presumed cartel members set up narco-blockades on highways in various municipalities of Michoacán, including Morelia, Zamora, La Piedad, Chilchota and Ecuandureo. Vehicles, including trucks and buses, were set on fire to create the blockades. Criminal groups in Mexico often create narco-blockades to impede security forces. The setting alight of vehicles is also a show of force for cartels as well as a demonstration of their anger over the arrest of one or more of their members.

⭕️ Al menos 12 bloqueos carreteros con vehículos incendiados fueron reportados en diez municipios de #Michoacán, informaron fuentes policiacas. Los cierres iniciaron alrededor de las 6:00 horas, tras un operativo de fuerzas federales contra un presunto líder del cártel Jalisco… pic.twitter.com/DQMz6bpZB2

— La Jornada (@lajornadaonline) August 19, 2026

Michoacán’s C5 security command center reported on social media that 26 blockades set up in Michoacán on Wednesday morning had been cleared by 12:30 p.m.

Earlier in the day, Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez noted that blockades at nine different locations had been cleared.

“We’re maintaining a permanent presence on the highways to guarantee your safety and to keep traffic moving smoothly,” he wrote on X.

“I ask that you drive carefully, follow the instructions of authorities, and consult only official sources,” Ramírez said.

Mexico News Daily 

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Addressing representatives from more than 100 countries, Cole gave an overview of García Harfuch’s career with the Federal Police, Mexico’s Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) and the Mexico City Security Ministry, prior to leading the Security and Citizen Protection Ministry. “Secretary Harfuch has devoted nearly two decades to public service to protect people in Mexico,” he said. 

🤝🇲🇽🇺🇸 “García Harfuch es socio de confianza y buen amigo de Estados Unidos”. – Terry Cole / Administrador de la DEA #SegurosJuntos 🛡️🤝 pic.twitter.com/gYr6hupAfd

— Embajada de EE.UU. en México (@USEmbassyMEX) August 19, 2026

Cole highlighted that the Mexican official is personally familiar with the risks of combating transnational criminal organizations, recalling the attack by the CJNG that he survived in June 2020. 

He also noted that García Harfuch understands the importance of sharing intelligence, targeting criminal leaders, disrupting supply chains and dismantling networks from the top down. 

In a separate speech, García Harfuch addressed the collaboration between the two countries, under which U.S. agencies are processing 155 arrest warrants for extradition purposes related to investigations by agencies in the neighboring country.

He said that 14 individuals — either wanted or considered priority targets by the FBI — have been arrested in connection with investigations into drug trafficking, homicide, money laundering, human trafficking and other activities of transnational criminal organizations. 

Regarding financial matters, García Harfuch stated that Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit has added more than 2,300 subjects to its List of Blocked Persons, frozen over 8.6 billion pesos in assets (US $507 million) and blocked more than 24,600 accounts.

He also seized the international opportunity to share the numbers resulting from his ministry’s push to reduce violent crime over the past two years: 63,500 people arrested for high-impact crimes, more than 32,800 firearms seized and 518 metric tonnes of drugs confiscated. The number of daily homicides has dropped from 86 to 42, a more than 50% reduction. 

En Buenos Aires, Argentina, me encuentro participando en la Conferencia Internacional para el Control de Drogas, donde compartimos los resultados de la Estrategia Nacional de Seguridad que encabeza la Presidenta @Claudiashein y que ha fortalecido las capacidades de inteligencia,… pic.twitter.com/kqGn1H6gpX

— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) August 18, 2026

From his official X account, García Harfuch posted images of his participation in the Buenos Aires conference and reiterated Mexico’s commitment against international crime. 

“Mexico will continue to cooperate with its international partners based on clear principles: shared responsibility, reciprocity, mutual trust and full respect for our sovereignty,” he said. 

With reports from Imagen and Proceso

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Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard voiced a “grave concern” over a preliminary determination by the U.S. that Mexican strawberry exports were being dumped during the winter season, which, if true, would constitute an unfair trade practice that consists of exporting goods at prices below their production cost or lower than the sales price in the domestic market.

Mexico’s Economy Ministry (SE) issued a statement Tuesday night informing the public that the U.S. accused Mexico of selling strawberries at prices between 3.37% and 5.28% below the normal product value.

To win the case, the U.S. must prove that Mexican strawberry sales are being made below fair value and the International Trade Commission (ITC), an independent quasi-judicial U.S. entity, must agree that the imports could cause material injury to the U.S. industry. 

However, Mexico’s SE says that the “arbitrarily applied” U.S. criteria are inconsistent with the ITC Antidumping Agreement and with provisions in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

The case originated on Dec. 31, 2025, when Florida producers requested that the Commerce Department and the ITC impose antidumping duties, based on a differentiation between “strawberries” and “winter strawberries” harvested between Nov. 1 and March 31 and on the existence of a regional market limited to the eastern U.S. states. 

The ITC concluded in March that there was no basis for considering winter strawberries as a distinct product from strawberries in general, nor for recognizing a regional market separate from the U.S. national market, according to Mexico’s Economy Ministry. But that conclusion was preliminary and did not halt the proceedings. The final ruling by the ITC is expected in early 2027, either allowing the U.S. to impose antidumping tariffs on Mexico or dismissing the case. 

The imposition of tariffs would affect almost 5,000 Mexican strawberry producers — 97% of whom are small or medium-sized, with no more than 10 hectares — and around 151,000 jobs. In 2025, Mexico exported 263,000 metric tons of strawberries to the United States, valued at $1 billion. 

On the other hand, from a U.S. industry perspective, Mexican producers are selling winter-harvested strawberries in the United States at prices U.S. producers cannot compete with. 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has warned that the U.S. Commerce Department’s determination could set a precedent for other U.S. producers to challenge other Mexican fruit and vegetable exports by dividing products into seasons or delimiting regional markets. 

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 98% of U.S. strawberry imports came from Mexico last year. Mexico accounts for 5.9% of global strawberry production, making it the world’s fifth-largest producer.

With reports from El Economista, Expansión, Infobae, CNN and Hortidaily

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Americans make up the majority of international arrivals into Mexico, but most head for the pristine coastline in Cancún, Cabo and Puerto Vallarta. Very few head to the country’s high-elevation center, and even fewer head to places outside of Mexico City. 

But they are undoubtedly missing out. Americans tend to make long-haul trips to Europe to eat unique food, explore cobblestone streets and take in thousands of years of history. They can get the same experience with their southern neighbor, so why don’t they come?

Here are some of the reasons I found after living in Mexico for two months. 

1. Public perceptions towards Mexico

The most obvious reason is the media perception of Mexico in the United States. Mexico is routinely painted as a hot, dangerous and drug-filled desert that sends millions of illegal immigrants through the northern border. 

On Aug. 4, influencer César Gastélum was shot and killed on a live stream in Sinaloa amid ongoing cartel turf wars. The clip spread rapidly on social media, with the most-liked comments all calling Mexico unsafe and warning people to stay away.

Even before I started my internship, I had to go through weeks of safety training. I had friends tell me that they were scared for me and almost everyone questioned if it would be safe. That is the perception of Mexico that many Americans have. 

Thirteen of Mexico’s 32 states have a level 3 or 4 advisory by the U.S. State Department, with only two — Campeche and Yucatán — holding a level 1 warning. These warnings and constant headlines of violence in Mexico keep the country off countless American bucket lists. 

Mexico has problems, of course. Mexico’s homicide rate is 3-5 times higher than that of the U.S. and organized crime has plagued many states and areas around the country. But Mexico is a giant nation. There are parts I will never set foot in out of fear and parts I already want to go back to. 

I grew up in the north suburbs of Chicago. Up there it is perfectly safe. Other parts of the city are not. There are areas of Chicago that I have never been to in my life, and that I never plan to go to. It is the same in Mexico but on a national scale. I will avoid Sinaloa and Ecatepec, but go to Mexico City and Oaxaca. Chicago and Mexico are both victims of clickbait headlines about widespread violence. Don’t believe them. I felt safer in Mexico than near my university in Seattle. 

Wherever I went, I saw families playing outside and parties in town squares. The people seemed happy and secure. I do not get that same feeling in many parts of the United States.

2. Less familiarity

When most Americans think of an international vacation, they think of Rome, London, Madrid or Athens. Guanajuato, Querétaro, San Miguel de Allende or Oaxaca usually never cross their minds. There is a long history of Americans crossing the Atlantic for their big vacation, but that does not happen in Central Mexico. 

While I met plenty of people who had been to San Miguel before I left, most had never even heard of it, let alone Guanajuato or Querétaro, which get far fewer American visitors. 

Americans tend to like to enjoy places where they can be more comfortable, which usually means they flock to where Americans already are. Massive European hubs that have been recommended by countless American tourists to their friends and family will rake in visitors, while Central Mexican destinations — for better or worse — go unnoticed. 

Central Mexico will never appear in as many movies (in a positive way, at least) as France or England. It will never be considered as romantic as Italy. So Americans will keep going to Europe. 

I’ve been to Europe several times and now I’ve been to Mexico for nine weeks. The lack of familiarity, which is both real and exaggerated, is what made traveling in Mexico so great. I was never craving uniquely American experiences in Mexico. Why would I come to Mexico if I wanted everything to be like the United States?

So yes, there is sometimes a lack of familiarity. I noticed people wearing different clothes and eating different foods. They had different phrases that sometimes made me uncomfortable and they had different customs. But now I understand them and can go back to the U.S. having learned new things. I would not have gotten that if I just went to a place where every person I saw was a tourist. 

3. Logistical and language issues

Americans like to speak English. In Central Mexico it’s far more common for people to lead with Spanish, unlike in Cabo or Cancún. For many American travelers, that’s enough to dissuade a visit. 

Airport announcements are exclusively in Spanish, as well as signs at bus terminals. Sometimes asking for directions or ordering at a restaurant can be difficult. It can be hard to make conversation or meet acquaintances. 

Am I being disrespectful? A reflection on living in San Miguel as an American intern

That’s part of the reason why San Miguel gets so many American tourists. You can easily get around with English and the town is relatively well-integrated to Americans. It may sometimes make for a less authentic trip, but one that is much easier to navigate and is more familiar while still having all the charm that Central Mexico provides. 

As someone who speaks very limited Spanish, I was worried about the language barrier. Staying in San Miguel made it more seamless, but it was harder to get by when I traveled to Querétaro or Oaxaca. But that discomfort is part of traveling and part of becoming integrated in the culture. I had translation apps on my phone and tried to make an effort to speak in Spanish when I could. That was more than enough to get by. 

It often was not easy but it was never that hard. If Spanish is stopping you from taking a trip to Mexico, I’m here to tell you that it shouldn’t. I struggled at times, but without trying to speak Spanish, I would not have been able to experience some of the rewarding experiences that I had. 

What you’re missing out on

Colorful cities. Colonial streets. Winding mountain passes and waterfalls. Ancient ruins and cactus gardens. Tacos, tlayudas and empanadas. 

Central Mexico truly has it all. I have been grateful to discover it during my nine-week internship. There were many times that I was grateful for streets that felt devoid of Americans, and there were times I was wishing for more familiarity. But that is the beauty of studying abroad. 

Americans are missing out on many of the same experiences they can get in Europe. In Mexico, they can travel on a shorter flight and at lower prices. It also comes with learning what the real Mexico is like, which is ever-important as the two countries have been increasingly linked for decades. Over 38 million people of Mexican origin live in the U.S., and nearly two million Americans live in Mexico.

As these two countries seemingly grow apart over political tensions, meeting Mexicans in person and seeing how they truly live their lives has never been so fulfilling. It has also never been so maddening as they continue to be vilified in the United States. I can confidently say that coming to Mexico will be one of the greatest experiences of my college years and one that I will never forget. 

Jared Tucker is a summer intern at Mexico News Daily in San Miguel de Allende and a rising senior at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he is the sports editor for The Daily UW. He was previously a fellow at TheFulcrum.us, where he covered public participation in American democracy.

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All stories in El Jalapeño are satire and not real news. Check out the original article here.

MEXICO CITY — Facing a severe nationwide shortage of unused physical corners, retail conglomerate FEMSA announced Tuesday a bold new expansion strategy for its Oxxo convenience chain: opening brand-new, fully operational Oxxo stores directly inside the aisles of existing Oxxo locations.

The initiative aims to address the geographical reality that nearly every street corner, gas station and residential block in the country is already occupied by a red-and-yellow storefront. Company executives confirmed the first “Internal Oxxo” prototype will open this Friday inside a flagship location in Mexico City, positioned conveniently between the snack aisle and the refrigerated beverage display.

“For decades, our growth model relied on finding vacant real estate within a three-minute walk of another Oxxo,” said Director of Retail Logistics Fernando Treviño during a press briefing. “Now that we have achieved complete spatial saturation on the X-axis and Y-axis, the only logical direction left to expand is inward.”

Under the new model, customers walking into a primary Oxxo will be able to step through a second, slightly smaller set of automatic glass doors to enter a secondary Oxxo. The internal stores will feature identical product offerings, including hot coffee, snacks and an independent checkout counter.

Company officials clarified that the second checkout counter inside the internal store will also operate under standard chain protocols.

“To maintain complete brand consistency across all levels of spatial reality, the cashier at the inner counter will also inform you that the second register is closed and kindly request that you pay at the outer store,” Treviño added, reassuring reporters that the traditional customer experience remains entirely unchanged.

Urban planning experts have praised the move for its spatial efficiency, noting that the nested retail model could theoretically continue indefinitely. FEMSA engineers confirmed they are already studying the feasibility of a third-tier “Micro-Oxxo” to be installed beside the instant coffee machines inside the secondary stores by late 2027.

Initial consumer reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Local resident Sofia Morales noted that while the concept felt surprising at first, the added convenience is undeniable.

“Sometimes I am browsing for chips in the main store, but I realize I don’t feel like walking all the way back to the front entrance to grab a soda,” Morales said. “Having a full second Oxxo right there in the aisle saves me at least eight steps. It just makes sense.”

FEMSA expects to roll out over 12,000 nested locations nationwide by the end of the fiscal year, effectively doubling its retail footprint without requiring a single new building permit.

Check out our Jalapeño archive here.

Got an idea for a Jalapeño article? Email us with your suggestions!

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Almost 700 of you responded to the survey and we have now analyzed the results, which are presented in this article.

Before we get to them, let us remind you that we conducted this survey to help guide and define the topics of a new MND series called “Mexico and My Money.”

The first article in the series, which was introduced by MND CEO Travis Bembenek earlier this month, will be published next week.

The MND ‘Mexico and My Money’ survey results

Who responded?

• By our cutoff time, 680 people living in 25 of Mexico’s 32 states had responded to the survey.
• The top 10 states where respondents live are Jalisco, Guanajuato, Nayarit, Quintana Roo, Baja California Sur, Mexico City, Yucatán, Oaxaca, Baja California and Sinaloa.

• Around 44% of respondents have lived in Mexico for 11 years or longer, while the remaining 56% have lived here for 10 years or less.
• The respondents are both full-time (70%) and part-time (30%) residents of Mexico.
• Almost eight in ten respondents (79%) are retired, while the remainder work either part-time (11%) or full-time (10%).
• More than seven in 10 respondents (73%) own their primary home, while the remainder rent.

10 Key Takeaways

7 in 10 respondents think their money is safe or very safe in banks in Mexico 

More than four in 10 respondents (44%) think their money is “safe” in a bank in Mexico while an additional 28% believe their money is “very safe” in a bank in Mexico.

Almost one-quarter of respondents (23.5%) chose the “neutral” option in response to the question about the safety of their deposits in banks in Mexico.

Only 5% of respondents think their money is “unsafe” (4.5%) or “very unsafe” (less than 0.5%) in a bank in Mexico.

One factor that may have influenced people’s perceptions about the safety of their money in banks in Mexico is that federal Finance Minister Édgar Amador Zamora promptly reassured CIBanco and Intercam account holders that their money was “absolutely” safe after the U.S. Department of the Treasury last year accused the banks of laundering millions of dollars for drug cartels, prompting the government to take control of them. For the vast majority of CIBanco and Intercam customers that proved to be the case, although account holders who responded to a previous Mexico News Daily survey did face a range of inconveniences linked to the U.S. accusations.

8 in 10 respondents don’t have a Mexican credit card 

Almost 37% of respondents don’t have a checking account based in Mexico, 58% don’t have a savings account with a bank in Mexico and a striking 79% don’t have a credit card issued by a Mexico-based bank.

A strong majority of respondents (72%) do, however, have a debit card issued by a Mexico-based bank.

The results suggest that many foreigners in Mexico use credit cards issued by banks in their countries of origin.

One possible reason why many foreigners opt not to get a credit card from a bank in Mexico is that credit card interest rates are typically very high.

8 of 10 respondents have made some kind of investment in Mexico 

Only 21% of respondents have not invested in at least one of real estate, stocks, bonds or a business in Mexico. The remaining 79% of surveyed foreigners have invested in at least one of those assets.

The purchase of a home in Mexico was easily the most popular investment. Seven in 10 respondents (71%) own a home in Mexico, while 14% have a property in which they don’t currently live. Just over 12% of respondents receive rental income from a property they own in Mexico.

One in 10 respondents (10%) has invested in a business in Mexico, while 8% of surveyed foreigners have bought stocks and 9% have purchased bonds.

A strong majority of respondents have not had ‘money issues’ with contractors or other service providers in Mexico 

Over eight in ten respondents (83%) of respondents have not had “money issues” with contractors in Mexico.

Almost nine in 10 surveyed foreigners (87%) have not had “money issues” with people who provide regular services to them in Mexico, such as landlords, cleaners or gardeners.

* Read about some of the money issues respondents have experienced with contractors and other service providers in the final section of this article.  

Most respondents have not been a victim of a financial crime in Mexico 

Over eight in ten respondents (82%) have not been a victim of a financial crime in Mexico, whereas 18% of survey respondents have been a victim of such an offense.

* Read about some of the financial crimes respondents have suffered in the final section of this article. 

The vast majority of respondents have not borrowed money from a financial institution in Mexico 

Almost 97% of respondents have not borrowed money from a financial institution in Mexico. Just over 3% of surveyed foreigners have borrowed money in Mexico.

This result suggests that the vast majority of respondents purchased real estate, vehicles and other assets in Mexico with their own funds or took out loans abroad.

As is the case with credit cards, the high cost of credit in Mexico is a deterrent to taking out loans in Mexico for many foreigners.

Rising prices in Mexico have negatively affected the lifestyles of 4 in 10 respondents

The increase in prices in Mexico in recent years has negatively affected the lifestyles of around four in ten (38%) respondents.

The lifestyles of the remaining 62% of surveyed foreigners have not been adversely affected by rising prices.

Mexico’s annual headline inflation rate fell to 3.12% in July, the lowest level in more than six years. However, inflation in Mexico was much higher in earlier years of this decade, peaking at an annual headline rate of 8.7% August and September of 2022.

Inflation, combined with other factors such as the strength of the peso, has made life in Mexico considerably more expensive in recent years.

Respondents are, on average, ‘somewhat concerned’ about fluctuations in the USD:MXN exchange rate

MND asked survey respondents to rate their concern over fluctuations in the value of the Mexican peso or the US dollar on a scale of 0 to 100.

On the scale, 0 meant “unconcerned”; 50 signified “somewhat concerned”; and 100 denoted “always concerned.”

The average response among respondents was 53, indicating that the surveyed foreigners are, collectively speaking, “somewhat concerned” about fluctuations in the USD:MXN exchange rate.

In general, fluctuations in the exchange rate are more of a concern now for foreigners in Mexico than in years gone by because, over a period spanning decades, the value of the peso against the US dollar trended down. However, in recent years the peso has bucked that trend, appreciating more than 10% against the greenback between 2021 and 2025, and continuing to strengthen this year.

A majority of respondents have loaned money in Mexico  

Over half of the survey respondents have loaned money locally while living in Mexico.

Around 22% of respondents have loaned an amount under US $500, while 20% have lent between $500 and $3,000. About 11.5% of respondents have lent over $3,000 to someone in Mexico. Those three percentages add up to about 53.5%.

The remaining 46.5% of surveyed foreigners haven’t lent money to anyone while living in Mexico.

15% is the most common restaurant tip rate among respondents 

Almost 48% of respondents typically tip “roughly 15%” of their total bill at restaurants in Mexico.

Almost 30% of surveyed foreigners usually tip “roughly 20%” when eating out, while 18.5% typically leave gratuities of “roughly 10%” of their total bill.

Just over 2% of respondents typically tip more than 20% of their total restaurant bill, while just under 2% usually tip less than 10%.

Your say 

We asked survey respondents to provide additional information if they have experienced money issues with contractors and/or service providers in Mexico or if they have been a victim of a financial crime here. Many of the survey respondents who said they have been a victim of a financial crime recounted stories of being mugged, pickpocketed or having money stolen from their homes.

Below is a (lightly edited) selection of the comments we received.

Money issues with contractors 

• I paid for materials I didn’t get.
• The price changed during the project due to the number of man-hours worked.
• I had disagreements over what was included with certain construction costs. The disagreements arose from familiarity with what is typical in the U.S. versus what is typical in Mexico.
• I paid for products and services I never received.
• I didn’t receive reimbursement for a shoddy job.
• I paid upfront for work that never happened or was executed poorly.
• The contractor demanded more money than we agreed on.
• The contractor failed to complete work and stole building materials.

Money issues with contractors and providers of regular services

• A cleaning lady we had for eight years was stealing money from our purse and wallets during the whole time she was working for us.
• A landlord kept my 20,000-peso security deposit without cause.
• In order to continue having hot water in the apartment, I had to purchase equipment and pay for the installation because the landlord would not.
• My rent increased above the agreed-upon rate. The increase was much higher than the standard rate increase in San Miguel de Allende.
• The gardener wanted more money and simply stopped working until he got his raise.
• I’m a former timeshare owner and the maintenance fee was immediately doubled after I was informed it was being adjusted because it was unfair. This was almost 20 years ago. It was extremely intimidating and I was threatened. Now that we know about cartel involvement in timeshares, I am so glad we got out even though we had to pay US $10,000.
• My landlord insisted on me paying rent in US dollars, then stopped when the dollar weakened. The landlord greatly increased my rent, specifically saying, “My expenses have gone up because of inflation and the dollar isn’t worth as much.” She then converted the rent from dollars into pesos, increasing it by 20%.
• I have had minor issues but have always been able to work them out. That’s life anywhere.

Financial crimes in Mexico 

• I was a victim of fraud when purchasing a car.
• I was mugged. I lost my phone and wallet.
• I was robbed of money, jewelry and a tablet by a “nurse” taking care of me.
• Someone hacked my virtual HSBC card and ran up unauthorized charges.
• I was the victim of the fraudulent sale of a timeshare.
• An employee of a Mexican bank was siphoning funds and using new deposits to cover withdrawals. She was caught. I had to testify against her in exchange for the bank honoring my account balance.
• I was coerced into a timeshare purchase.
• A vacation rental that I paid for in advance was not owned or managed by the guy who rented it to me.
• I was a victim of a credit card scam in a taxi.
• A fruit vendor gave me counterfeit money.

Mexico News Daily 

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At midday Mexico City time, the USD:MXN exchange rate was 16.97, according to Bloomberg.

Earlier on Wednesday, the peso reached 16.95 to the dollar, its strongest position since June 2024. Compared to the Bank of Mexico’s closing USD:MXN rate of 17.06 on Tuesday, the peso appreciated 0.65% to reach 16.95 to the dollar.

Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, wrote on X that the peso appreciated on Wednesday morning due to “the weakness of the dollar” as a result of the U.S. Treasury Department’s announcement that it was increasing a bond buyback operation. The dollar weakened after the Treasury Department announced in a statement that it was “increasing, by at least double, the size of liquidity support buyback operations for longer-dated nominal coupon securities (the 10-year to 20-year sector and the 20-year to 30-year sector).”

At midday, the US Dollar Index, which measures the greenback against a basket of foreign currencies, was down 0.7% compared to the closing level on Tuesday.

Janneth Quiroz, director of economic analysis at the Monex financial group, said that the peso benefited from “the retreat of the dollar” and from the United States’ decision on Tuesday to pause planned 50% tariffs on almost $30 billion worth of Canadian goods.

The appreciation of the peso on Wednesday morning came after the currency broke the 17-unit-per-dollar floor last Friday morning. However, the peso closed at 17.03 to the dollar on Friday, according to the Bank of Mexico, and was also above 17 at the end of trading on Monday and Tuesday.

The peso has appreciated around 6% against the dollar so far this year after ending 2025 at 18.00 to the greenback.

In the most recent MND Peso Index™ analysis, which was conducted in early August when the USD:MXN rate was 17.22, the peso was found to be overvalued against the dollar by 2.4%.

With reports from El Economista and El Financiero

The post Peso punches below 17 to the US dollar for the second time in a week appeared first on Mexico News Daily

• 💰 More than 16 billion pesos to be invested in Hidalgo: Governor Julio Menchaca announced two major projects: a 10.1-billion-peso “Economic Development Hub for Well-being” in Zapotlán de Juárez, and a 6.5-billion-peso “reactivation” of a cement plant in Tula de Allende.

• 🔥 Sheinbaum: Security operation provoked violence in Michoacán: Asked about fiery narco-blockades across the state Wednesday morning, the president confirmed an operation was underway to detain “one or several important targets.” The top target of the operation is reportedly CJNG plaza boss Heraclio Guerrero Martínez, alias “Tío Lako.”

• ⚖️ Velasco: Mexico wants “justice” for the 17 who died in ICE custody: Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco said that the government’s complaints, filed in July with U.S. prosecutors, seek investigations into the deaths, a “determination of responsibilities” and, if warranted, criminal charges. Sheinbaum said her government took the unusual step of filing the complaints directly, rather than leaving it to victims’ families, “because we’re now talking about 17 compatriots who have died.”

Why today’s mañanera matters

Officials spoke about a range of important issues at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Wednesday morning press conference, including investment in the state of Hidalgo, violence in Michoacán and the Mexican government’s response to the deaths of 17 Mexicans in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or during ICE operations.

Sheinbaum’s confirmation that a security operation in Michoacán on Wednesday morning was the reason why various narco-blockades were set up on highways in the state was especially significant. However, she provided limited information about the events in Michoacán, saying that security officials would offer more details later in the day.

More than 16 billion pesos to be invested in 2 projects in Hidalgo

At the start of the press conference, Sheinbaum announced that Hidalgo Governor Julio Menchaca was in attendance to speak about new investment projects in the state he leads.

Menchaca announced that investment and infrastructure firm Dewa Capital would invest 10.1 billion pesos (US $595.7 million) in the development of an Economic Development Hub for Well-being in the municipality of Zapotlán de Juárez.

He also announced that cement company Cruz Azul would invest 6.5 billion pesos (US $383.3 million) to “reactivate” a plant in the municipality of Tula de Allende.

Deputy Economy Minister Ximena Escobedo said that the 10-billion-peso investment by Dewa would be divided into five stages. Among the projects in the first stage, she said, is the construction of the first two industrial buildings “that will soon house companies.” Escobedo said that construction of the two buildings would cost 2 billion pesos.

Germán Ahumada Alduncin, founder and executive director of Dewa, said that “an industrial logistics platform” will be developed across more than 910 hectares in Zapotlán de Juárez, located in southern Hidalgo near the state’s border with México state. The economic hub will be “designed to receive advanced manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceutical and medical device companies,” he said.

Nuestro titular @CarlosHenkelE acompañó al gobernador @juliomenchaca_ a la #MañaneraDelPueblo con la presidenta @Claudiashein para presentar proyectos clave de inversión para la entidad.
Impulsamos con firmeza el nuevo Polo de Desarrollo Económico para el Bienestar Reserva pic.twitter.com/sP92iSkwzG

— Desarrollo Económico (@Sedeco_Hgo) August 19, 2026

“The project involves an investment of more than 10 billion pesos and will combine industrial infrastructure with clean energy, services and complementary equipment,” Ahumada said, adding that construction of the first stage will create an estimated 5,100 jobs.

Sheinbaum: Security operation provoked violence in Michoacán 

A reporter asked the president about violence on Wednesday morning in Michoacán, where narco-blockades were set up on highways in various parts of the state. The setting alight of vehicles to create the blockades was reportedly a response to a security operation targeting Heraclio Guerrero Martínez, an alleged Jalisco New Generation Cartel plaza chief known as “Tío Lako.”

Sheinbaum didn’t mention Guerrero by name, but said there was an operation to detain “one or several important targets.”

“The Security Cabinet will provide information later,” she said.

Sheinbaum said that the security operation in Michoacán provoked a violent response in “some places.”

She said that the Mexican Army is in Michoacán to support the response to the situation. Five presumed criminals were reportedly killed on Tuesday during a clash between the army and a criminal group in the municipality of Los Reyes.

Velasco: Mexico is seeking justice for Mexicans who died in ICE custody  

A reporter asked the president what her government is seeking by filing complaints with prosecutor’s offices in the U.S. regarding the deaths of 17 Mexican citizens in the custody of ICE or during ICE operations. Sheinbaum referred the question to Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco.

“What we’re seeking is justice,” Velasco said.

“For there to be justice, there has to be an investigation,” he said, referring to probes into each of the deaths of Mexicans in ICE custody or during ICE operations.

“… There has to be a determination of responsibilities,” Velasco said.

“And naturally each case is different,” he added. “What we’re seeking is accountability and a determination of what happened in each case.”

Asked whether investigations could lead to criminal charges, Velasco responded, “of course.”

“This is what we’re setting out, that if there was criminal responsibility, there should be justice,” he said.

In July, the Mexican government filed a total of 20 complaints with U.S. prosecutors in states where the deaths of the 17 Mexicans occurred, namely Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri and Texas.

Sheinbaum said that the families of Mexicans who have died in ICE custody or ICE operations in the U.S. are normally responsible for filing complaints and the Mexican government “supports them.”

“However, we’re now talking about 17 compatriots who have died in the United States,” she said.

“… So we made the decision to directly file the complaints,” Sheinbaum said.

“… There are a lot of cases and our obligation is always to defend Mexicans in the United States or anywhere in the world,” she said.

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