Latest news with #US-Mexico
Dubai Eye
5 days ago
- Business
- Dubai Eye
US threatens Mexican airline flights over airline competition issues
The Trump administration said it is taking a series of actions against Mexico over the government's decisions to rescind some flight slots for American carriers and force US cargo carriers to relocate operations in Mexico City. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement the department could disapprove flight requests from Mexico if the government fails to address US concerns over decisions made in 2022 and 2023. The department is also proposing to withdraw antitrust immunity from the Delta Air Lines joint venture with Aeromexico to address competitive issues in the market. Mexico is the most popular international destination among US airline travellers. The Transportation Department said Mexico has not been in compliance with a bilateral air agreement since 2022 when it abruptly rescinded slots and then forced US all-cargo carriers to relocate operations in 2023. Duffy said Mexico was expected to allow construction to alleviate congestion at Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX), but that has yet to materialize three years later. "By restricting slots and mandating that all-cargo operations move out of MEX, Mexico has broken its promise, disrupted the market, and left American businesses holding the bag for millions in increased costs," the department said. The Transportation Department issued a pair of orders requiring Mexican airlines to file schedules with the department for all their US operations and requiring prior US approval before operating any large passenger or cargo aircraft charter flights to or from the United States. "Mexico has altered the playing field significantly for airlines in ways that reduce competition and allow predominant competitors to gain an unfair advantage in the US-Mexico market," the department said. "Mexico's actions harm airlines seeking to enter the market, existing competitor airlines, consumers of air travel and products relying on time-sensitive air cargo shipments traded between the two countries, and other stakeholders in the American economy." If the US rescinds antitrust approval for Delta and Aeromexico, they would be required to discontinue cooperation on common pricing, capacity management, and revenue sharing, but Delta would also be able to retain its equity stake in Aeromexico, maintain all of its existing flying in the US-Mexico market unimpeded and continue a partnership.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Mexican cartels now producing drugs in Europe in 'concerning' global expansion
The European Union Drug Agency (EUDA) and Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) have both warned that Mexican cartels are expanding European operations Mexican cartels - including one established by El Chapo - are expanding operations in Europe, establishing drug production bases that allow them to maintain a constant presence on the continent. Authorities have warned that the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) cartels have cemented a foothold in European nations as part of a new strategy. The "Mexican method", the European Union Drug Agency (EUDA) reports, has seen the groups establish clandestine laboratories and even gain a hand in the training of local chefs. The agency has found their operations becoming more commonplace due to the growing demand for synthetic drugs. READ MORE: Horror as 400 human corpses found inside house of horrors on US-Mexico border In its 2025 report, the organisation warned drug production in Europe has been primarily focused on amphetamine, methamphetamine, synthetic cathinones, MDMA, cocaine and heroin. It identified drug production centres in Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland, and drug developers seem to be extending their roots in the nations. The EUDA flagged a "significant concern" in the report that cocaine production in Europe especially appeared "to be larger and more sophisticated than was previously thought". Investigators also found that production in Europe has been reliant on South American ingredients trafficked to the continent for processing. The report states: "Overall, based on the information available, it appears that large amounts of cocaine hydrochloride are now processed in Europe, mostly in Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain, from intermediary products (coca paste and cocaine base) trafficked from South America." A couple of months before Europol released its report, the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) warned in one of its own that Mexican groups were accessing secure drugs distribution routes and taking over logistics operations. The group found cartels contribute expertise, handling and transportation, while local criminal groups are left in charge of distribution, money laundering and protection. Combined, these have allowed criminal groups from Central America to maintain a locally established European foothold. The issue came into sharp focus earlier this year when members of Europol arrested 16 alleged members of a criminal network involved in producing and trafficking synthetic drugs in Marseille, France. The arrests, made with support of French police, apprehended members of a network operating closely with the Sinaloa Cartel and other criminal gangs. They were found to have been operating across Europe in Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands, and notably across the world in New Zealand. The Sinaloa Cartel - established by infamous kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán - is among the most brutal of cartel groups, having recently been embroiled in an "internal cleansing" effort that saw members assassinate their own hitmen.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration seeks to end bond hearings for immigrants without legal status
The Trump administration is reportedly seeking to bar millions of immigrants who allegedly arrived in the US without legal status from receiving a bond hearing as they try to fight their deportations in court. The new policy would apply during removal proceedings, which can take years, for millions of immigrants who entered the country from Mexico in recent decades, according to a report from the Washington Post, which reviewed documents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice). Such immigrants had previously been allowed to request a bond hearing before an immigration judge, but Todd Lyons, Ice's acting director, stated in a memo reviewed by the Post that the homeland security and justice departments had 'revisited [their] legal position on detention and release authorities'. The departments determined that such immigrants 'may not be released from Ice custody', Lyons reportedly wrote in the memo. Related: Trump's tax bill funds $6bn expansion of US-Mexico border surveillance, report finds That new restriction, which is expected to face legal challenges, was issued on 8 July shortly after the Republican-controlled Congress provided Ice $45bn over the next four years to detain immigrants for civil deportation proceedings. 'To be clear, [Ice's] position here is laughable and is being rejected by immigration judges all over the US, and will soon be dismissed by actual federal court judges in habeas proceedings,' Charles Kuck, an immigration attorney and Emory University law professor, wrote on X in a post that alluded to challenges against one's detention. The policy change would mark the latest significant departure for Ice, which during Joe Biden's presidency provided a guide on how immigrants who are detained can post bond. 'Judges see a lot of people every day,' the guide stated. 'You can make your testimony stand out by speaking sincerely. Think about a story that will show the judge how much your family needs you. Explain to the judge why your detention hurts your family very much. 'We hope that this guide provides you with helpful information when preparing for your bond hearing. We wish you the best of luck with your case!' The Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for reducing immigration, defended the new reported policy. 'Detention is absolutely the best way to approach this, if you can do it,' Mark Krikorian, executive director for the Center for Immigration Studies, told the Post. 'It costs a lot of money, obviously. 'You're pretty much guaranteed to be able to remove the person, if there's a negative finding, if … [they're] in detention.' The Trump administration had already worked to limit which immigrants can post bond. Previously, people arrested after they had entered the US and placed in regular removal proceedings were eligible for a bond hearing, according to the National Immigration Project, a non-profit whose attorneys have defended immigrants facing deportation. But in May, the federal Board of Immigration Appeals issued a ruling stating that such people were subject to mandatory detention, meaning that Ice could jail them during removal proceedings and not provide them an opportunity to appear before an immigration judge and get a bond set. Ice did not immediately respond to the Guardian's request for comment on the reported new policy.
Business Insider
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
A Gen Xer self-deported to Mexico after 36 years in the US for a safer, more affordable life: "I feel a sense of relief"
Regina Higuera left the US for Mexico due to increased ICE operations in California. Higuera decided returning to her birth country would be safer and help her save money. Leaving her children and grandchildren was difficult, but she got to reconnect with her 90-year-old mother. Regina Higuera built a life in the United States. As a single mother in Los Angeles, she raised three American-born children and worked in the garment industry, making pennies per sewn item. Now, she's moved back to Mexico, the country she left 36 years ago, because Immigration and Customs Enforcement ramped up operations in Southern California this summer. Data analysis by The New York Times found that ICE arrests have increased by 124% since last year. President Donald Trump's new budget includes $75 billion in extra funding for ICE to bolster immigration enforcement. "We must expand efforts to detain and deport illegal aliens in America's largest cities," Trump wrote on TruthSocial last month. "I have directed my entire administration to put every resource possible behind this effort." Higuera, 51, who did not have legal documentation to live and work in the US, was faced with an ultimatum: Stay and risk detention and deportation or voluntarily say goodbye to her children and grandchildren. "I was really sad that I was leaving my family behind," Higuera told Business Insider. "But at the same time, I was happy that I was going to be able to see my mom, whom I haven't been able to see in 22 years." Her daughter Julie Ear shared her family's journey to repatriate her mother online. "Come with me to self-deport my mom," she said in a video posted to social media. The moment went viral online, garnering millions of views on Instagram and TikTok. "We're driving from LA down to TJ to drop her off at the airport, and she'll be flying to Mexico City," Ear said, referring to Tijuana, Mexico. Higuera was anxious at first that she might be questioned while crossing the US-Mexico border, but everything went smoothly, and she arrived at the Tijuana International Airport with three hours to spare. "Once we crossed the border into Tijuana, Mexico, I felt a sense of relief," Higuera said. " I am finally home safe, and no one can take that away from me." Living a better, more affordable life in Mexico In May, the Trump administration announced a new program to incentivize immigrants without legal status to leave the US by offering them a $1,000 stipend. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to comment on how many immigrants without legal status have applied for the program. As Higuera and her family were weighing their options, they were watching ICE raids escalate in volume and violence across Southern California. Dozens of viral videos reposted by local news outlets like the Los Angeles Times and LA Taco show federal law enforcement officers using physical force and threats to detain migrants, immigrant activists, and US citizens. Higuera decided not to apply for the funding and chose to leave on her own. "I was mostly scared of her getting detained by ICE agents here," Ear told Business Insider. She worried her Gen X mother could be mistreated in federal custody. Investigative reporting by NPR showed that ICE detention centers can be overcrowded and lack food and medical care. Plus, rent in LA had gotten too expensive for Higuera, who had been splitting $1,700 monthly with her husband and son. As a garment worker, her pay would range between $500 and $1,000 a week. To make ends meet, Higuera also did gig work, delivering food with Uber Eats and DoorDash. "It was a recurring cycle that we have been working for years: living paycheck to paycheck and have nothing to show," Higuera said. Higuera said that the cost of living in Mexico is dramatically lower, even though the move itself was expensive. The four-hour flight from Tijuana to Mexico City cost $243, and Higuera had to drive an additional five hours to her home state, Guerrero. Higuera said it cost her over $4,000 to move all her belongings across the border. To defray the costs, her daughter put together a GoFundMe that has raised $2,635. In Mexico, Higuera said, the cost of living is so much cheaper than in the US; she estimated that she needs to make $500 to $800 a month to live comfortably. "I have my small two-bedroom house where I don't have to pay rent," she said of a parcel of land she owns that she's been building on for years. "All I have to worry about is my living expenses." Her home is still a work in progress, but Higuera is already enjoying her new residence, which is near her extended family. Higuera is now semi-retired and looking for side gigs to cover her living expenses. "I honestly have no idea how much I could make out here," Higuera said. She isn't sure what kind of employment is available, but Higuera's semi-rural town still has economic opportunities. Before leaving, she packed some jewelry and items she could sell as a street vendor. "I know that I can always sell things out here the same way I did back in LA." As she settles in, Higuera can finally see a future that isn't clouded with financial stress or fear. She hopes that her husband can join her soon and that her kids and grandchildren, who are US citizens, can visit her. Higuera said the best part of coming back home is making up for lost time with her 90-year-old mother. "I love that my mom is just a couple of steps from me, and I have breakfast with her every morning."
Economic Times
14-07-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Prices set to explode: Trump's tariffs could make your tomatoes cost more than steak — starting today
American consumers may soon face higher tomato prices due to new 20.9% tariffs on Mexican imports, potentially replacing a long-standing trade agreement. This could significantly impact restaurants and small businesses, with some fearing closure. While intended to protect US farmers from unfair competition, the tariffs are expected to increase consumer costs by 10% and decrease demand. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What's behind the sudden spike in tomato prices? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Are these tariffs really helping American farmers? What are the expected effects on tomato prices and demand? Why are Mexican tomatoes being targeted now? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What do Mexican growers have to say in response? How are restaurants and businesses dealing with the pressure? Could American farms fill the gap? FAQs If you thought your grocery bill was already high, brace yourself as tomatoes could be the next luxury item on your receipt. Prices are expected to rise across the United States as a result of new tariffs on Mexican imports, hurting restaurants, small businesses, and everyday shoppers in the produce aisle.20.9% tariffs on the majority of Mexican tomato imports could replace a nearly three-decade-old US-Mexico trade agreement on July 14, putting a strain on restaurants and raising grocery costs, as quoted in a report by tariffs on tomatoes are just one of the most recent instances of US President Donald Trump 's chaotic tariff policy. His tariffs have already disrupted international trade and left businesses unsure of how to prepare for the trade protections eroding and political tensions rising, American consumers may soon pay steak-like prices for tomatoes, and small business owners fear the worst as supply chains become unstable. Some small businesses may completely shut down as a result of higher to some US growers, the tariffs, which are intended to combat "dumping," or the practice of undercutting domestic products by selling cheap exports into a foreign market, are long may have to pay more for tomatoes at the grocery store, pizza place, and other of May 2025, US consumers paid approximately $1.70 per pound for tomatoes grown in the fields, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These tariffs could result in a 10% increase in consumer tomato prices and a 5% decrease in demand, according to Timothy Richards, an agribusiness professor at Arizona State University, as quoted in a report by to the US Department of Agriculture, the United States is the largest market for Mexican tomato exports. The department concluded that the new tariffs would probably result in fewer tomato imports and higher prices in a report released in over three decades, Mexican producers have been illegally dumping tomatoes at unfair prices into the U.S. market despite five consecutive agreements, according to a statement released by Robert Guenther, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, which CNN went on, "I believe the trade agreement has harmed American farmers."The Tomato Suspension Agreement, which has been in effect since 1996, establishes a floor for tomato the "current agreement has failed to protect U.S. tomato growers from unfairly priced Mexican imports," the Commerce Department said in a statement in April that it was leaving the agreement. The duties of 20.9% on the majority of Mexican tomato imports will follow from accusation is denied by Mexican tomato grower Walberto Solorio, president of the Baja California Agricultural Council, which represents more than 120 tomato to Solorio, minor violations by some Mexican producers haven't been enough to blow up the entire deal, he told a CNN producer."It's not a business issue, in my opinion; it's more of a political one," said Solario. "Everything suggests that, within reasonable bounds, the agreement should be upheld and that it has been carried out."Teresa Razo, the proprietor of two Argentine-Italian eateries in Southern California, stated, "I give it three months, and then we go bankrupt." She asserted that her business may fail if tomato prices increase due to new tariffs on the Mexican-grown and consumers are being greatly impacted by the tariffs on Mexican tomatoes, which are raising demand and driving up prices. While some businesses, like Appollonia's Pizza, are sourcing tomatoes from domestic growers, others, like Heinz and DiGiornio, are avoiding the tariffs by using tomatoes produced in the United some businesses might have to increase menu prices because not everyone can afford the expense of using Mexican tomatoes as is making an effort to purchase tomatoes from domestic growers, but she may have to increase menu prices if they are unable to locate US tomatoes in a timely manner. For her mental health, she has stopped watching the news every day and is waiting for the tariff to be to geographic diversity and technological advancements, American tomato growers are able to produce enough tomatoes throughout the year. If the agreement were to be terminated, Mexican producers would still be able to sell tomatoes in the United States, but they would have to abide by trade quarterly audits of Mexican imports have been conducted, and tariffs on essential ingredients like cheese have already increased costs and can cause problems in a high-stress tariffs could go into effect as early as July 14, predict that the tariffs will cause a 10% increase in consumer tomato prices.
