Poverty Drop / US Drone in Mexico

Tourism Grows 13% in 2025. Minister of Tourism Josefina Rodríguez presented tourism indicators for 1H25, during which Mexico received 47.4 million international visitors, a 13% increase compared to 2024. This included 23.4 million international tourists, up 7.3%. Spending by international visitors reached US$18.68 billion, a 6.3% increase, and the number of cruise passengers arriving at Mexican ports grew by 9.6% to 5.7 million. Rodríguez also noted 5,695 foreign women arrived by air, an increase of 1.8%.

Data also showed improved air travel conditions between Mexico and the United States, with 4.6 million seats programmed year-to-date in 2025, a 5.5% increase over 2024. For 1H25, the busiest airports by passenger volume were the AICM, followed by Cancun, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana, San Jose del Cabo, Puerto Vallarta, AIFA, Merida, and Leon.

Sheinbaum Celebrates Poverty Reduction. President Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted results from INEGI’s 2024 National Survey of Household Income and Expenditure (ENIGH), which show a reduction in poverty in Mexico between 2018 and 2024. She reported that multidimensional poverty decreased from 41.9% to 29.6% of the population, which currently represents 38.5 million people.

Extreme multidimensional poverty also decreased, falling from 7% in 2018 to 5.3% in 2024. In absolute terms, this means the number of people in extreme poverty fell from 9.1 million to 7 million. The president noted that the survey measures poverty by considering factors such as income, housing, and access to health, education, and social services.

Carlos Treviño Detention. President Sheinbaum confirmed the detention of former PEMEX Director Carlos Treviño Medina in the United States and announced that his deportation process to Mexico is underway. She stated that he is implicated in the Odebrecht case and linked to the formal complaints made by Emilio Lozoya, among other crimes.

Sheinbaum described the arrest as a major advance that will allow authorities to investigate a national corruption network within PEMEX. She informed that his return is expected so he can face trial under Mexican law.

US Drones in Mexican Territory. President Sheinbaum addressed the recent sighting of a United States drone over Valle de Bravo, State of Mexico, confirming the flight took place at the request of the Mexican government. She explained the aerial reconnaissance was to aid in the fight against organized crime, utilizing technology that Mexico does not currently possess.

Sheinbaum clarified that the operation, conducted by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), was not related to migration and is part of the existing framework of collaboration between the two countries. She detailed that these flights adhere to strict rules, including flying only in the requested zone and providing the Mexican government with a permanent, real-time view of what is being observed to ensure respect for national sovereignty. The president added that this type of collaborative operation has been done in the past.