Briefing for the week commencing August 11 2025
During a press appearance in the Oval Office this week, US President Donald Trump said, “Mexico does what we tell them to do” regarding border control, also making the same claim about Canada, as part of his remarks on reduced migrant crossings.
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Mexico’s Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said a US Customs and Border Protection MQ‑9B SkyGuardian drone flew over areas of México State controlled by the cartel La Nueva Familia Michoacana, but only because the Mexican government specifically requested it—for help in organized crime investigations. The drone flight comes amid reports President Trump has directed the Pentagon to draw up plans to confront Mexican criminal groups militarily.
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This week over 100 gas stations in Chiapas, Nuevo León, Mexico City, and Estado de México have seen delivery delays that caused some to close. But the government maintains there is no gasoline shortage and the delays are due to transport problems.
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On August 14, the peso fell to about 18.8159 pesos per U.S. dollar, marking a 0.94% weakening (roughly 17.6 centavos), making it the second‑worst performing emerging‑market currency that day, amid fears that rising US wholesale inflation could push interest rates higher.
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According to El Economista, in the first half of 2025 the Mexican federal government spent 1.011 trillion pesos on pensions (778 billion on contributive and 233 billion on non-contributive pensions), which was more than the 853 billion pesos spent on health and education together—marking the fourth year in a row this has happened. Between 2018 and June 2025, pension spending rose about 75% in real terms, and poverty among those aged 65+ fell nearly 30%, but deficiencies in health and education services increased.
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The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placed sanctions on four Mexican individuals and 13 companies near Puerto Vallarta accused of running timeshare scams for the drug cartel CJNG. These scams — part of the cartel’s expanding non-drug income sources like fuel theft and extortion— target US citizens, especially the elderly, according to the Treasury.
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Mexico transferred 26 high‑ranking cartel suspects — including leaders this week linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, CJNG (like Abigael “El Cuini” González Valencia), Los Zetas, and others — to the United States under its National Security Law, at the US Justice Department’s request. It was done with the assurance that no death penalty would be sought.