The Mayan Train begins its loading phase to revolutionize the southeast

A historic turn for the southeast: the Mayan Train will not only move tourists, but also the economic heart of the region.

Publicado 28 abril, 2025 el 28 de abril a las 14:29 | 3 mins reading |4,683 vistas | por Carlos Méndez

A Moment that Will Change the Destiny of the Southeast

Under a sky that seemed loaded with promises, Claudia Sheinbaum, the first woman to govern Mexico, raised her hand as if she were a priestess of progress, marking the beginning of an epic transformation. It wasn’t just another work, no. It was the awakening of a sleeping giant: the Mayan Train, ready to become the economic heartbeat of the southeast.

The Dream That Stops Being a Chimera

With words that resounded like thunder of hope, Sheinbaum revealed the best kept secret of this project: not only would it transport dreams in the form of tourists, but it would also be the vital vein that would connect local production with the most distant markets. “The transport of goods will be the bridge that unites the sweat of the farmers with the tables of the entire country,” he declared, while those present held their breath.

But this wouldn’t be just any task. The Felip Ángeles Group of Engineers, a name that already sounds like a legend, would take the reins of this odyssey of steel and concrete. Two phases, two and a half years, and an army of 26,200 brave souls that would give life to this colossal undertaking. Each nail, each rail, would be one more step towards the economic rebirth of a forgotten region.

The Cities That Will Be Crowned

There would be no place in the Southeast that would not feel the echo of this monster of progress. Cancun, the queen of the Caribbean; Palenque, guardian of ancestral secrets; Poxilá and Progreso, twins of commerce, all united by the same destiny: to be intermodal terminals where products would dance between trains and trucks as in a logistical ballet. And Progreso, oh, Progreso, with its direct embrace of the Interoceanic Train, would be the key that would open the doors between two seas.

General Gustavo Ricardo Vallejo Suárez, commander of this legion of builders, unveiled the master plan: 10 complexes, including five terminals, four operations yards and a fuel spur, all woven along 1,553 kilometers of track, as if it were the nervous system of a new era.

“This is not just a train, it is the rebirth of a nation,” declared Sheinbaum, as cameras captured every word as if they were prophecies.

The Legacy That Will Not Stop

And although some may murmur that this is just politics, the facts scream louder: the railroad, that old titan that once united Mexico, is back, and not just for passengers. Sheinbaum, with the shadow of López Obrador like a benevolent ghost, swore that this would be the continuation of a dream, not its end.

While @elmananarey‘s tweet went viral, showing the initial flag, the message was clear: the southeast would no longer be Mexico’s backyard. It would be his beating heart.

Ready to witness this revolution on rails? Share this story and join the conversation about the future of transportation in Mexico. #TrenMaya #ElProgresoSobreRieles

National

FDA recognizes false positive in Taylor Farms lettuce

Cofepris analysis rules out contamination; FDA admits error in initial sample.

Publicado 9 hours ago el 23 de julio a las 22:34 | 1 min reading

Analysis results

The Ministry of Health reported that tests carried out on lettuce and water samples from the Taylor Farms Mexico plant were negative for the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis —which causes severe diarrhea— and also for fecal coliforms. The analyses, carried out by Cofepris, confirmed that the product complies with the physicochemical parameters established in national standards.

Traceability and false positive

Taylor Farms has a traceability system that allowed United States authorities to identify the origin of the product and track a batch held at customs in Laredo, Texas. That batch never entered US territory.

The sample obtained from that batch returned a false positive, a situation that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized in an update published on July 19. The Ministry of Health emphasized that the product is suitable for human consumption.

National

UIF identifies 55 people in the CJNG financial network

The FIU detected 55 people linked to a CJNG financial network, including 16 front companies.

Publicado 11 hours ago el 23 de julio a las 21:08 | 2 mins reading

The Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) of Mexico detected 55 people allegedly linked to a financial network of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The finding was achieved through specific financial indicators, as reported by the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP).

Release 61 details that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury designated 55 people – 39 individuals and 16 legal entities – related to this structure. The action is part of bilateral cooperation against the finances of organized crime.

Indicators detected

The FIU identified “indicators related to possible operations with resources of illicit origin.” Among them: cash operations, acquisition of high-end vehicles, jewelry and real estate, international transfers, intensive use of credit and service cards, and inconsistencies in income reported to the SAT.

The authorities detected “possible inconsistencies between the income reported to the tax authority and the resources observed in the financial system,” which strengthened the identification of the network.

Front companies and complaints

Of the total, 16 legal entities had illegal activities. According to the FIU, some registered relevant operations, while others were front companies with “limited or no apparent economic activity.”

The UIF filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) for the crime of operations with resources of illicit origin. It also included the subjects designated by OFAC on the List of Blocked Persons (LPB), and added eight additional ones—four individuals and four legal entities—linked to the same financial structure.

International coordination

The Treasury stressed that the coordinated actions with the United States seek to “prevent improper use of the financial system, combat money laundering and weaken the economic structures of organized crime.” The FIU maintains cooperation with national and international authorities, in accordance with the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

National

US Treasury locates Florence as a drug production center

The Treasury Department identified the Zacatecas municipality as the CJNG base for fentanyl and cocaine.

Publicado 11 hours ago el 23 de julio a las 20:44 | 2 mins reading

The United States Department of the Treasury identified Florencia de Benito Juárez, Zacatecas, as one of the key points of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) to manufacture fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.

According to the agency, José Octaviano García Martínez is the current head of the plaza in the area, accompanied by Cuauhtémoc Rivera Zepeda and Uriel Hernández Morales. These last two would be in charge of the clandestine laboratories in Zacatecas and Jalisco. All three report to Audias Flores Silva—alias El Jardinero—, designated as successor to the late leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, El Mencho.

Criminal presence in a small municipality

Florencia de Benito Juárez barely covers 328 square kilometers in the south of the state, in the Sierra Madre Occidental, adjacent to Jalisco. Despite its size, the municipality has been the scene of organized crime operations.

In March 2025, authorities dismantled a camp used by a criminal cell. Months later, in June, they destroyed a greenhouse used for growing marijuana. Both operations sought to neutralize illegal infrastructure.

The municipal president elected in 2024 is Fortino Cortés Ramírez, who will conclude his term in 2027.

Recent violence and federal response

On Saturday, July 18, 2025, 10 bodies were found in the municipalities of Morelos, Pánuco and Sain Alto. Of the victims, six were construction, mining and entertainment businessmen. Two others were officials of the Fresnillo city council: Fidel Alvarado de la Torre, secretary of Municipal Social Development, and firefighter Jesús Gerardo Muñetón Hernández.

Given these events, the Secretariat of National Defense deployed 100 Special Forces elements on July 22. They joined the 400 Army and National Guard troops who had already been operating since July 19. They carry out ground reconnaissance and deterrent actions in Zacatecas, Guadalupe and Fresnillo.

The conflict in the region is not new. On May 20, 2011, a clash between rival groups—known as The Florence War—left 77 people dead. The journalist Alfredo Valadez Rodríguez documented this episode in the book of the same name, published by Ediciones Proceso in 2021.