MI’s Mexico Foreign Press Chatter – Jan. 16, 2025

January 23, 2026
2:17 pm

Implications from Maduro’s capture and threats of military action by an emboldened Trump continued to dominate coverage this week. In the most explosive story, the NYT reported on the U.S proposing joint US-Mexico military lab seizures in Mexico, noting that current U.S.-Mexico military cooperation remains intelligence-based, but Washington wants to replicate their success in Venezuela elsewhere. So far Mexico has balked at this, to say the least. The NYT further anonymously quoted two Mexican officials discussing the potential for Mexico to demonstrate its commitment to Trump by prosecuting officials suspected of cartel ties, and potentially extraditing them. The WSJ reinforced this by framing Sheinbaum’s rejection of Trump’s threats as a fragile tug-of-war between Trump’s pressure and AMLO’s legacy of protecting Morena officials accused of corruption — suggesting that appeasing Washington now extends from cartels to politicians. Meanwhile, Bloomberg and Reuters reported on Monday’s call between the two presidents. A few days later, the AP reported that Mexico arrested six alleged members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua cartel, and four members of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion.

Taking a broader view, the NYT examined the geopolitical fallout following the capture, highlighting Mexico’s great exposure to U.S. pressure compared to other Latin American nations, and how China’s silent economic South American incursion over the past 20 years adds tension to Trump’s hardline approach. A harsh op-ed in the WSJ went further, with the oft-critical Mary Anastasia O’Grady grouping Sheinbaum’s stance on Venezuela, the train derailment at the end of last year, and oil ties to Cuba as examples of an increasingly ideological authoritarian government.

The looming USMCA renegotiation gathered a few headlines after Trump expressing indifference and calling it “irrelevant”, reiterating that the U.S. does not need Canada and Mexico, per Bloomberg. Taking the opposite view, Reuters reported that the Ford CEO called it “critical” for the car manufacturing industry, which he sees as an integrated North American system in need of a regulatory update. Mexico’s economy minister, Marcelo Ebrard, also responded, assuring that the trade agreement is in a review phase and progressing well, per Reuters.

As mentioned above, oil was another source of bilateral tension, as Bloomberg reported that a Pemex shipment arrived in Cuba late last week; President Sheinbaum has defended the shipments as “humanitarian”. Separately, the WSJ profiled Rod Lewis, who is positioned to begin drilling in Venezuela, with experience of going into Mexico and drilling with Pemex at the Rio Grande.

Citi was at the forefront of business news. Bloomberg reported that the bank is planning to sell privately more stakes of Banamex as the Mexican retail unit prepares for an IPO. Meanwhile, Reuters covered renewed legal risks, noting the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear the bank’s bid to avoid the lawsuit accusing the bank of enabling fraud at Oceanografía, a Mexican oil-services firm once contracted by Pemex. Elsewhere, Reuters reported that Pilgrims, an American poultry producer, will invest $1.3 billion in Mexico over the next five years, in yet another mañanera investment announcement.

Shifting gears, Reuters covered two up-and-coming sports. The first was Formula E, which held the Mexico City grand prix last weekend, with the co-founder calling the race a championship benchmark driven by Mexico’s growing motorsport culture. The second is flag football, as the U.S and Mexico will play an exhibition match in February this year ahead of its 2028 Olympic debut.

Notable blogs in English on Mexico

Mexico-related substacks this week kept decoding the current volatility in the U.S.-Mexico relationship by exploring Donald Trump’s language. The Mexico Political Economist examined the vocabulary used by the White House, arguing that the blunter, sharper terms used to describe the relationship reflect a rupture with the rules of a previous world order. Similarly, on Materia Gris, Eduardo García uses Jon Stewart’s satire to expose how the Trump administration has broken from a “moral language” to a satirical, naked imperial logic. Meanwhile, on Crashout, Ioan Grillo summarizes the reasons behind Trump’s incursion into Venezuela, including putting pressure on the rest of the region.

Photo of the Week

The Liberian-flagged tanker Ocean Mariner sails through Havana Bay, delivering Mexican oil. Mexican shipments have become a source of friction as President Trump pledged the island nation would receive no more oil or money from Venezuela. Photo by Norlys Perez for Reuters.

FOREIGN PRESS COVERAGE

The U.S. Is Pressing Mexico to Allow U.S. Forces to Fight Cartels

01/15/26, NYT, Maria Abi-Habib et. al

Trump Threats and Venezuela Strike Leave Mexico Agonizing Over How to Respond

01/11/26, The New York Times, Paulina Villegas and James Wagner

Mexico Rejects Trump’s Plea for U.S. Forces to Take On Cartels

01/12/26, WSJ, José de Córdoba et.al 

Sheinbaum Rejects US Strikes on Mexico in Latest Call With Trump

01/12/26, Bloomberg, Carolina Millan and Alex Vasquez

Mexico arrests 6 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and 4 of Jalisco New Generation Cartel

01/13/26, AP, Staff

Mexico’s Sheinbaum says US military intervention ruled out after talks with Trump