Key Points —President Sheinbaum signed the Agreement for the Promotion of the National Steel Industry, requiring all government steel purchases to be sourced from domestic producers. —The pact covers 19 federal agencies and three industry chambers, with over $8 billion in investment commitments and 90,000 direct jobs at stake. —Mexico produced 14 million tonnes of […]

The post Mexico Mandates Local Steel for All Government Projects appeared first on The Rio Times.

Key Points —Mexico’s mining and metallurgical production rose 5.5% month-on-month in February 2026, according to INEGI data, recovering from a 6.5% annual contraction in 2025. —Gold extraction fell 1.9% year-on-year and silver declined 0.7%, but copper and zinc posted gains amid strong global prices driven by the energy transition and war-related demand. —Mexico jumped from […]

The post Mexico Mining Output Jumps 5.5% in February Rebound appeared first on The Rio Times.

Prosecutors accused Rubén Rocha Moya, the governor of Sinaloa state, and other Mexican officials of a yearslong conspiracy to protect the powerful cartel.

In the richly detailed linocuts of Eduardo Robledo, festive ceremonies, spiritual motifs, and dream-like interactions unfurl. The Mexico City-based artist was born and raised in the southern borough of Xochimilco, which is famous for its canals—vestiges of a huge Aztec water transport system still used today for bringing goods into the city. This area and its time-honored customs provide a bounty of inspiration for Robledo.

Community and celebration are at the heart of his work, as creatures and figures converge in enigmatic, sometimes ritualistic choreographies. Traditional motifs like skulls and skeletons, which represent remembrance, joy, and an acceptance of the cycle of life and death, interact with denizens of the region like armadillos, birds, reptiles, and more.

Social activism has also played a strong role in Robledo’s practice, tapping into the power of printmaking to spread messages about causes he cares deeply about. “Printmaking is democratic; it’s more supportive,” he shares in a profile. “There is a very strong graphic arts tradition in social movements.”

Robledo’s compositions are playful yet mysterious, universal and also arcane. Winged hearts, known as Sagrado Corazón, or the Sacred Heart, symbolize love, healing, and spiritual devotion. Armadillos represent protection and abundance, and numerous other foods, plants, and nods to culture—such as Xochimilco’s colorful canal boats known as trajineras—are venerated in scenes of dancing or totem-like configurations.

RobledFrFo’s prints can be found at Hecho a Mano in Santa Fe, and the artist is also a co-founder of Lugar de Huida in Mexico City, a gallery highlighting Mexican printmakers. See more on the artist’s Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Linocuts by Eduardo Robledo Celebrate Mexican Heritage and Community appeared first on Colossal.

Medellín, Colombia – Chihuahua state Attorney General César Jáuregui, resigned on Monday following the death of two CIA agents in a car crash in Mexico on April 19.

In a press conference announcing his resignation on Monday, Jáuregui admitted that there had been “omissions” in relation to the presence of the American agents in the country.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum earlier ordered an investigation into why the U.S. agents – who were apparently working with local authorities – were in the country.

The two spies were returning from a drug raid in the El Pinal area of Chihuahua alongside Mexican security forces when the fatal crash occurred. 

Following the crash, Sheinbaum said, “neither had formal accreditation to participate in operational activities” and one had entered the country as a tourist.

Attorney General Jáuregui had initially claimed that the U.S. operatives had been giving drone lessons in the mountains of Chihuahua, and had coincidentally got a ride with the police convoy..

U.S. President Donald Trump has long advocated for Washington’s involvement in Mexican anti-drug operations, but Sheinbaum has been opposed to U.S. forces or agents participating in domestic security operations, though she welcomes intelligence sharing. 

Trump has threatened that the U.S. could “go it alone” in the case that Washington deems Mexico’s anti-cartel efforts insufficient.

Jáuregui is not the only Mexican official facing scrutiny for his involvement in covering up the unregulated presence of the CIA agents. The Governor of the state of Chihuahua, Maru Campos, was supposed to meet with the Senate of the Republic on Tuesday to clear up unknown details regarding the presence of the CIA agents in Mexico. 

She was expected to explain the level of their participation in the operations, whether there were formal or informal agreements with U.S. agencies, the extent of the knowledge of the Mexican federal government, and if there was a potential exchange of sensitive information.

However, on Tuesday, Campos announced that she would not be attending the meeting, in order to “ensure the proper development of the ongoing proceedings, avoiding at all times the compromising of information of a confidential or classified nature.” She also reiterated that her conduct has “always been under the principles of legality and transparency.”

The deaths of the two agents and the circumstances surrounding it have raised tensions between Mexico and Washington, but Sheinbaum highlighted on Tuesday in her daily press conference that she does not desire “conflict” between the two nations.

Featured image description: Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua

Features image credits: On^ste82 via Wikimedia Commons

The post Chihuahua state attorney general resigns after CIA agents die in Mexico appeared first on Latin America Reports.

With the arrest of Audias Flores, aka “El Jardinero” (The Gardener), one of Mexico’s most wanted drug traffickers and a leading contender to take over the decapitated Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Mexico has not only dealt a brutal blow to that criminal organization, but is also trying to send a message of effectiveness to Washington and contain Donald Trump’s interventionist impulse in his crusade against drugs.

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© Semar (EFE)

The Mexican military captured Audias Flores Silva, alias ‘El Jardinero’, on Monday – one of the top leaders of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Flores Silva was considered to be one of the key candidates to succeed alias ‘El Mencho’, the former leader of the CJNG who was killed by authorities in February.

The drug lord’s arrest comes amid a wider crackdown by Mexican security forces against organized crime, driven partly by pressure from Washington.

According to authorities, Monday’s operation did not involve any shooting, injuries, or collateral damage. The military deployment included 120 direct action troops, four close air support helicopters, four fixed-wing aircraft, and two troop transport helicopters, with 400 naval personnel providing support.

The CJNG leader’s more than 60-strong escort group dispersed in different directions upon the arrival of security forces, attempting a tactical distraction maneuver, but the target was located through air and ground tracking.

Official footage of the operation shared by Omar García Harfuch, Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection of Mexico, shows the moment of the capture, with Flores Silva extracted from a roadside drainage conduit, where he was hiding. The arrest happened near El Mirador, a rural community in the western state of Nayarit.

Hours after the news became public, several stores and vehicles were set on fire across Nayarit. While the unrest fell short of the level of retaliation following the killing of ‘El Mencho’ in February 2026, the Government of Nayarit urged citizens to stay in their homes as a preventative measure.

A major blow to CJNG

The arrest was praised by the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, who congratulated Mexico’s Security Cabinet and Secretary of the Navy.

In 2021, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency offered a US$5 million reward for information leading to Audias Flores Silva’s arrest or conviction. Flores Silva was defined as “closely aligned” with former CJNG leader ‘El Mencho’, whose real name is Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes.

In June 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Flores Silva, identifying him as a CJNG regional commander in charge of significant portions of territory in the states of Zacatecas, Guerrero, Nayarit, Jalisco, and Michoacán. 

According to U.S. authorities, Flores Silva was in control of clandestine laboratories producing methamphetamine and other illicit drugs in central Jalisco and southern Zacatecas. In addition, Silva managed the logistics of cocaine trafficking operations from Central America through Mexico to the United States, including the supervision of several clandestine airstrips.

‘El Jardinero’ was also believed to have coordinated a deadly 2015 attack against Mexican police forces in Jalisco that left 15 agents dead.

Flores Silva’s arrest is a hard hit to CJNG, as security analysts considered him a potential successor to the group’s command after the death of ‘El Mencho’ last February.

“Flores Silva was the closest thing the CJNG had to a chief operating officer, the man who once ran Mencho’s personal security, managed the Pacific corridor’s labs and airstrips, oversaw a timeshare fraud network and U.S. money-laundering pipeline, and brokered the alliance with Los Chapitos after the Sinaloa civil war,” Chris Dalby, director of World of Crime and senior analyst at Dyami Security Intelligence, told Latin America Reports.

Authorities dealt a second blow to CJNG yesterday when the Special Forces of the Mexican Army and the National Guard detained César Alejandro N, alias “El Güero Conta”. He was identified as the main financial operator for ‘El Jardinero’ and accused of laundering money through companies and frontmen.

“Losing Silva alongside his financier on the same day hits the CJNG operationally and financially simultaneously. It doesn’t spell an end to the CJNG, however, and may actually help Juan Carlos Gonzalez Valencia secure leadership by removing a rival,” said Dalby.

Featured image description: Wanted poster for Audias Flores Silva, alias ‘El Jardinero’.

Featured image credit: Omar García Harfuch via Facebook.

The post Mexican authorities arrest top cartel leader ‘El Jardinero’ appeared first on Latin America Reports.

Mexican officials revealed that four foreigners — not two — were present during a counterdrug operation in northern Mexico where a crash killed two men later identified as C.I.A. officers.

Key Points — Mexican Navy Special Forces (SEMAR) captured Audias Flores Silva, alias “El Jardinero,” in Nayarit Monday April 27 — confirmed by Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch on social media. The Mexico CJNG capture was the result of 19 months of surveillance and a coordinated operation involving SEMAR Special Forces, the SSPC, and the […]

The post Mexico Captures Second CJNG Cartel Boss ‘El Jardinero’ in Two Months appeared first on The Rio Times.

Key Points — Chihuahua Governor María Eugenia “Maru” Campos appears before Mexico’s Senate Tuesday April 28 at 10am to explain her state’s collaboration with US intelligence agents on a April 17-19 antinarco operation that killed four people, including two confirmed CIA officers. The Mexico CIA Chihuahua crisis has escalated into a direct confrontation between President […]

The post The CIA Operated in Mexico Without Permission, Sheinbaum Says appeared first on The Rio Times.

The Mexican Navy, so battered lately by the huachicol scandals—the rampant smuggling of stolen fuel—and the interoceanic train accident, has just scored a major point. In a remarkably precise operation, a special forces detachment arrested Audias Flores, aka “El Jardinero” (The Gardener), in Nayarit on Monday. Flores was a key member of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) leadership and a candidate to lead it after the death of its top boss, Nemesio Oseguera, in an Army operation in February.

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© Secretaría de Marina

Arrests of Audias Flores and César Alejandro ‘N’ lead to gunmen blocking roads, as US embassy warns employees to avoid Reynosa after earlier arrest

The Mexican authorities have arrested two top criminals, one of them a close ally of the slain founder of the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), prompting gunmen to block roads in the western state of Nayarit.

Audias Flores, known as “El Jardinero”, is a regional commander in control of swathes of CJNG territory along Mexico’s Pacific coast. He was considered a potential successor to Nemesio Oseguera, alias “El Mencho”, who ran the cartel and was killed in a security operation in February.

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© Photograph: Mexican Secretariat of National Defense/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mexican Secretariat of National Defense/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Mexican Secretariat of National Defense/AFP/Getty Images