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Mexico critical mineral production draws US strategic interest

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Although not listed as a producer of rare earth elements, Mexico produces eight of the 60 critical minerals of interest to the U.S. that are included in the joint action plan aimed at mitigating vulnerabilities in North American critical mineral supply chains. Mexico is among the world’s leading producers of antimony, barite, copper, fluorite, graphite, lead, silver and zinc, all critical minerals that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) prioritizes as vital to the U.S. economy and its national security. The USGS values these products as they fall within categories it considers vulnerable due to their role in essential technologies (e.g., batteries, energy, electronics and defense). The U.S.-Mexico action plan is linked to the U.S.-sponsored Critical Minerals Ministerial plan comprising more than 55 nations including Mexico. Mexico is also a participant in multilateral negotiations on critical minerals with Canada, Japan and the 27 members of the European Union. Mexico is not l...
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El Jalapeño: Bypassing Trump, Canada set to extend Gordie Howe bridge to Mexico

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All stories in El Jalapeño are satire and not real news. OTTAWA — In a landmark infrastructure deal Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican officials have broken ground on the Trans-Continental Bypass — a suspended highway designed to let North America’s top and bottom neighbors hang out without the loud middle child getting involved.​ The project, colloquially dubbed “The Great Polite Arc,” will stretch from Ottawa directly to Monterrey, cutting out the need to set foot in the United States entirely.  (Antony-22/WIkimedia Commons) After this week’s uproar over whether the existing Gordie Howe bridge between Mexico and the U.S. will be allowed to open, the Arc turns from satire into a reasonable backup plan, offering Canadians and Mexicans a quiet detour around the chaos in the United States. “It is a triumph of engineering,” said Dr. Guillermo Fuentes, Mexico’s newly appointed Secretary of Vertical Tourism. “We have designed special soundproofing barriers to block out the no...
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Cutzamala, the Mexico City area’s main water supply system, is getting its first upgrade in 4 decades

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The Cutzamala system, which provides drinking water to Mexico City and Mexico state, is undergoing its first major upgrade in 40 years, with an investment of over 680 million pesos (US $39.6 million), the director of the Valley of Mexico Water Basin Authority (OCAVM), Citlalli Peraza Camacho, announced on Tuesday. The investment is expected to extend Cutzamala’s lifespan for another 20 years, in order to continue providing drinking water to 5 million residents in the Valley of Mexico. The Valle de Bravo Dam, officially the Miguel Alemán Reservoir, in Mexico state is one of the three major dams that feed the Cutzamala water supply system, which is currently undergoing a major upgrade. (agua.org.mx/X) “The Cutzamala system has some of the largest pumping equipment in the world, and it typically has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years,” Peraza said. “No piece of equipment of this size has ever been replaced. Plus, the pieces are unique and haven’t been manufactured anywhere else.” The Cutz...
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Mexico ranks last among OECD countries on 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index

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Mexico continued its slide down the rankings on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), even though its score increased by 1 point in 2025. On Tuesday, Transparency International (TI), a Berlin-based organization that describes itself as “the global coalition against corruption,” published its 2025 CPI , which ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt a country’s public sector is perceived to be by experts and business executives. Those people are asked their views about things such as bribery, embezzlement and nepotism, among other scourges that plague the public sectors of countries around the world. All told, the index drew on “13 independent data sources,” according to TI. With a score of 27 out of 100, Mexico ranked 141st out of 182 countries/territories on the latest index. Therefore, Mexico is much closer to the “highly corrupt” 0 end of the continuum than the “very clean” 100 end. Mexico’s score of 26 on the 2024 CPI was its worst ever...
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Did a Mexican cartel just try to attack El Paso?

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The airspace over El Paso, Texas, was closed late Tuesday after Mexican cartel drones breached the airspace, according to reports by the Associated Press and CNN that cited U.S. government sources. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy subsequently said on social media that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of War (DOW) “acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion.” The FAA and DOW acted swiftly to address a cartel drone incursion. The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region. The restrictions have been lifted and normal flights are resuming. https://t.co/xQA1cMy7l0 — Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 11, 2026 “The threat has been neutralized, and there is no danger to commercial travel in the region,” he wrote on X Wednesday morning. Earlier on Wednesday, the FAA announced on social media that the “temporary closure” of airspace over El Paso had been lifted, just hours after i...
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Families demand relocation of 2 schools near Dos Bocas refinery, citing contamination and noise

Citing environmental and civil protection concerns, more than 200 families in the Gulf state of Tabasco are demanding that schools near the Dos Bocas refinery be relocated. In announcing their petition to President Claudia Sheinbaum and Governor Javier May, parents say the proximity of the refinery exposes their children and school employees to serious health risks. Habitantes de Tabasco protestaron frente a la refinería de Dos Bocas para exigir la reubicación de escuelas cercanas a instalaciones de Pemex. #NoticiasImagen #PaolaRojasDPC @PaolaRojas pic.twitter.com/a7Dkfwbc30 — Imagen Televisión (@ImagenTVMex) February 10, 2026 The Agustín Melgar Kindergarten and the Abías Domínguez Alejandro Elementary School stand in the shadow of the Olmeca Refinery, known as Dos Bocas, in the Lázaro Cárdenas del Río neighborhood of the municipality of Paraíso. The families say they have been trying to get the schools relocated since construction on the refinery began nearly seven years ag...
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Medical inflation and tax changes are increasing health insurance premiums by up to 40%

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Private health insurance in Mexico is getting more expensive in 2026 due to a combination of high medical inflation and recent tax changes, which have increased premiums by between 20% to 40%.   Economist Alejandro Gómez, founder of the Group of Advisors in Economics and Public Administration, told the newspaper El Economista that these adjustments could deter people from contracting private insurance, reduce their coverage amounts to pay less, or, in the worst-case scenario, lead to cancellations. In Mexico, approximately 14-15 million people (10% of the population) pay for major medical expense insurance (gastos medicos mayores). According to Gómez, about 20% — equating to about three million individuals — might consider canceling their policies this year.  Erick Ocampo, head of the Government and Public Sector Committee of the Mexican Association of Insurance and Bonding Agents (AMASFAC), explained to El Economista that this 20% at risk of dropping their policy has basi...
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