Mexico week in review: US tensions resurface as World Cup run ends

Mexico’s World Cup run gave way this week to two of the country’s most persistent storylines: the fallout from the “El Mayo” Zambada case and economic uncertainty tied to trade and global conditions. El Tri’s tournament ended Sunday with a 3-2 loss to England in the round of 16, a result Sheinbaum called the team’s best World Cup performance despite the early exit, and the match itself became the most-watched soccer broadcast in Mexico this century.

By Tuesday, attention shifted to a sharper dispute with Washington. Sheinbaum used her press conference to ask who lied about the U.S. role in capturing Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, suggesting American officials misrepresented arrangements made with organized crime figures to facilitate his 2024 capture. Former U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar denied the accusation in a statement Wednesday, rejecting Sheinbaum’s characterization of events. The dispute unfolded as Zambada’s own legal team asked a U.S. federal judge to consider his age and health when deciding where he’ll serve the life sentence he has agreed not to contest ahead of his July 20 sentencing.

Economic headwinds also came into sharper focus. Switzerland’s president visited Mexico City to deepen trade ties even as Toyota confirmed it will relocate Tacoma production from Tijuana to Texas over the next four years. Mexico’s foreign direct investment ranking and record May exports to the U.S. offered a counterweight, but the IMF lowered its growth forecast for Mexico, citing global uncertainty and Middle East tensions rather than domestic factors. A Pemex corruption scandal also deepened, and the government escalated its response to the deaths of Mexicans in U.S. immigration custody.

Didn’t have time to catch this week’s top stories? Here’s what you missed.

Mexico-US relations: Cooperation rhetoric meets harder realities

Sheinbaum’s Tuesday accusation that the U.S. misrepresented its role in Zambada’s capture drew a direct rebuttal from Salazar, who denied lying about any FBI arrangement in his Wednesday statement responding to the president. The dispute remains unresolved, with both sides offering conflicting accounts of what U.S. officials promised.

Separately, Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco announced Thursday that Mexico will pursue criminal complaints in U.S. courts over the deaths of 17 Mexicans in ICE custody or operations since the second Trump administration began, including the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on Tuesday. Velasco said Mexico will file complaints with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and send cease-and-desist letters to private companies operating ICE detention facilities, in addition to diplomatic notes already sent and appeals made to the U.N. and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Economy: Trade ties advance while forecasts and manufacturing shift

Swiss President Guy Parmelin’s visit, aimed at expanding economic and trade cooperation, came in the same week Toyota confirmed it will gradually move Tacoma production to its San Antonio plant, ending a Tijuana manufacturing presence dating to 2002.

Mexico ranked No. 10 globally for foreign direct investment in 2025, a figure Finance Minister Edgar Amador highlighted at Wednesday’s mañanera alongside May’s export data, which showed Mexican exports to the U.S. hit a record even as USMCA renewal talks remain stalled.

The IMF nonetheless cut its 2026 growth forecast for Mexico to 1.2% from 1.6% and its 2027 forecast to 1.9%, changes it attributed to global uncertainty tied to Middle East tensions rather than domestic conditions; Amador pushed back, noting that the IMF underestimated Mexico’s 2025 growth as well.

However, Vinci Airports, the world’s largest private airport operator, said it remains open to further investment in Mexico despite anticipated slower global air-traffic growth. CEO Remi Maumon de Longevialle cited Monterrey’s role as a business hub and a stable concession framework; OMA, in which Vinci is the main shareholder, is preparing to invest another $450 million over five years.

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Pemex scandal widens with new corruption complaint

Former Pemex CEO Víctor Rodríguez, arrested Tuesday on domestic violence charges stemming from an attack on his wife in March, is now named in a separate complaint over a 4.8 billion-peso no-bid vehicle-leasing contract awarded during his tenure.

The complaint, filed with anti-corruption authorities and forwarded to Mexico’s financial intelligence unit, tax administration and attorney general’s office, alleges conflicts of interest and questions the legitimacy of the winning consortium, whose listed address in México state reportedly does not exist. Sheinbaum, a longtime associate of Rodríguez, publicly distanced herself from him on June 29 and said the law would be applied fully in his case.

Mexico ranks among world’s top travel destinations

San Miguel de Allende, Oaxaca, Mexico City and Guadalajara all placed among Travel+Leisure’s top city rankings, while the Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo in Jalisco’s Costalegre region was named the top-ranked resort in Mexico and 31st in the world. The recognition comes as Mexico’s tourism sector also drew attention this week for its handling of World Cup-related travel demand.

Looking ahead

Zambada’s sentencing on July 20 will test how the case affects Mexico-U.S. relations following this week’s dueling accusations between Sheinbaum and Salazar. The 2026 USMCA review remains unresolved, leaving automotive investment and broader trade planning in limbo even as export volumes hit records. Rodríguez’s legal situation is likely to expand further given the number of federal agencies now reviewing the Pemex contract, and Mexico’s response to ICE-related deaths will shape diplomatic exchanges with Washington in the coming weeks.

This week in good news

• 🧪 A Mexican researcher helped drive a breakthrough antibiotic discovery: Nora Vázquez Laslop, part of an international team, identified a compound that attacks bacteria in a previously untargeted way, offering new possibilities against antibiotic resistance.

• 🦅 A protected black hawk-eagle was spotted in Querétaro for the first time in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, marking a range expansion for the endangered apex raptor.

• 🎹 Elton John announced two farewell concerts in Mexico City, set for Oct. 2-3 at Banorte Stadium, formerly known as Estadio Azteca.

• 🎬 The Mexican Film Academy revealed its nominees for the 68th Ariel Awards, with “En el camino,” co-produced by Diego Luna, leading with 13 nominations ahead of the Oct. 3 ceremony.

• 🐾 A Chiapas zoo welcomed a newborn Baird’s tapir, with the 8.4-kilogram male calf born at the Miguel Álvarez del Toro Zoo as part of a conservation breeding program for the endangered species.

Mexico News Daily