¡Hola amigos! This week, Aeroméxico is under investigation over a possible data breach affecting millions of customers, Mexico plans to spend billions modernizing thousands of kilometers of highways, and a U.S. Navy torpedo somehow ended up in Mexican waters.

Plus, what you need to know about the RFC, what to do after a car accident, and the story of Mexico’s legendary Aztec Eagles.

And to our readers who could be affected by Hurricane Polo this week, stay safe out there.

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Q: What natural wonder is thriving deep in Tabasco, far from where you’d expect to find it?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.

🔐 Aeroméxico is facing an investigation into a possible data breach involving more than 15 million customer records after an alleged database was offered for sale online.

⚠️ President Sheinbaum blamed rising violence in Sinaloa on U.S. involvement in the 2024 arrest of “El Mayo” Zambada.

📵 Starting Nov. 3, Mexico will ban cellphones and tablets in elementary and middle schools during both class time and recess, except for emergencies or specific schoolwork.

📜 The 16th-century Azcatitlan Codex is back in Mexico for the first time since 1840 and will be on display at Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology through December.

🤝 The next round of U.S.–Mexico USMCA review talks has been postponed. A new meeting is expected toward the end of September.

🇺🇸 Mexico plans to buy more American goods as part of the USMCA review.

🥃 Authorities in Guanajuato seized 531 bottles of adulterated or counterfeit tequila during a raid in León.

🌽 White corn prices jumped 6% over the past month, but the government says there’s no reason to raise tortilla prices.

🛣️ Mexico plans to invest US$37.6 billion to build and modernize more than 11,000 kilometers of highways, bridges, and bypasses across the country.

🎯 A U.S. Navy practice torpedo went missing off California and drifted into Mexican waters near Ensenada.

You don’t have to work or own a business in Mexico to need an RFC. Mexico’s tax ID may be needed for banking, official invoices, property transactions, and other financial matters.

If you’re a Temporary or Permanent Resident, here’s what you need to know about the RFC, how it differs from your CURP, and how to register with SAT.

Read more

Most of us know the basics after a car accident. But in Mexico, what happens after the crash may not work the way you’re used to.

What seems like a simple decision at the scene can have consequences you may not anticipate, particularly if someone is injured or responsibility for the accident isn’t immediately resolved.

Knowing what to do — and what not to do — can make a difficult situation much easier to navigate.

Read More

IIn 1945, fighter planes streaked across the skies above the Philippines, their tails marked in green, white, and red. Thousands of kilometers from home, the Mexican pilots of Escuadrón 201 were flying combat missions against Japanese forces.

Mexico remained neutral during the early years of the World War II. But in May 1942, German U-boats sank the Mexican oil tankers Potrero del Llano and Faja de Oro, killing 22 sailors.

Within days, Mexico declared war on Germany, Italy, and Japan.

Two years later, a 300-man Mexican expeditionary air unit headed to the U.S. for combat training. It included 36 volunteer pilots and 264 ground personnel. Their unit, Escuadrón 201, would be known as the Aztec Eagles.

While training in the U.S., some of the Mexican airmen encountered prejudice from their American counterparts. Rather than argue, they became determined to prove what they could do.

They also adopted an unlikely mascot: Panchito Pistoles, the pistol-packing Mexican rooster from Disney’s The Three Caballeros. His image became the squadron’s unofficial symbol as they headed into combat.

In the Philippines, the Aztec Eagles supported American and Filipino troops fighting below. They flew low, bombing and strafing Japanese positions.

Other missions took them hundreds of kilometers north toward Formosa, today’s Taiwan. Loaded with bombs and flying over open water, some missions lasted a gruelling seven hours.

In just a few months, the squadron flew nearly 800 sorties. Eight of the original 36 pilots were lost during training, combat, and long-range operations.

They returned to Mexico in November 1945, receiving a hero’s welcome with a parade through Mexico City in their honour. The Aztec Eagles also made Mexican military history as the country’s only military unit to engage in combat outside its borders.

Today, a monument to Escuadrón 201 stands in Bosque de Chapultepec. Nearby is another dedicated to the Niños Héroes, military cadets who died during the defense of Chapultepec Castle against U.S. troops in 1847.

Long before “clean beauty” became a thing, Indigenous communities in Mexico were using a natural pigment to color and decorate their skin.

Achiote (Bixa orellana) is a tropical American tree long cultivated in Mexico and Central America.

Crack open its spiky fruit, and you’ll find clusters of seeds ranging from yellow-orange to deep crimson. With color that intense, it’s easy to see why it earned the English nickname “Lipstick Tree.”

Traditionally used as body paint, achiote also had medicinal purposes. Preparations were used on wounds, burns, and skin irritations, and as sun protection and insect repellent. Leaves and seeds were also used in infusions for digestive complaints, including heartburn and diarrhea.

Achiote’s color comes largely from bixin, a carotenoid concentrated in the outer coating of the seeds. It also contains antioxidants, including flavonoids and tocotrienols (a form of vitamin E). Together, these compounds help protect cells from oxidative stress and damage.

Achiote seed extract is also used in skincare products marketed for dark spots, wrinkles, and other signs of skin aging. Its natural pigment is used in cosmetics, adding warm reds and oranges to lipsticks, blushes, and eyeshadows.

It’s also widely used as a natural food colorant in products ranging from dairy and baked goods to meats and seasonings.

Achiote is just as useful in the kitchen. Its earthy, slightly sweet, peppery flavor works well in marinades, tamales, stews, and sauces. Most famously, achiote gives cochinita pibil and carne al pastor their unmistakable rusty-red color and distinctive flavor.

Fiestas del Sol 2026 – September 25–October 11, Mexicali, Baja California
Fiestas del Sol turns 50 with a big dose of nostalgia and music. This year revisits its history with tributes to figures from past celebrations. Nightly shows range from rock and pop to regional Mexican and urban sounds. More info here.

Xantoluz 2026 – October 1–November 2, Monterrey, Nuevo León
Xantoluz returns with a month-long immersive Día de Muertos celebration. Traditional altars, a Mictlán zone, and dramatic lighting set the scene. More than 20 shows run daily, with live music and dance throughout. Alebrijes, a mariachi plaza, and family activities. More info here.

La Alborada 2026 – October 2–3, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
Through the night of October 2, neighborhood groups carry giant paper stars through San Miguel. Bands strike up as mojigangas draw crowds into the streets. Before dawn, the procession pours into the center, and the crowd swells. Then La Alborada explodes overhead in a relentless barrage of fireworks honoring San Miguel Arcángel. More info here.

Festival Internacional Cervantino 2026 – October 3–18, Guanajuato, Guanajuato
For 16 days, Guanajuato becomes the center of Mexico’s cultural calendar. The 54th Cervantino brings 2,746 artists from 29 countries. France takes the spotlight as this year’s guest of honor. The program ranges from opera and major concerts to film and contemporary dance. More info here.

Vallarta Nayarit Gastronómica 2026 – October 4–7, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
Michelin-starred talent joins this four-day celebration of food and drink. Watch top chefs cook live, alongside tastings, gourmet workshops, and mixology. All the action is at the Sheraton Buganvilias, in Puerto Vallarta’s Hotel Zone. More info here.

This week's lesson comes from Julie Amaro at Connections Language School, one of the reader-recommended teachers featured in The Insider's Guide to Spanish Teachers in Mexico.

Ganas 

If you’ve spent any time in Mexico, you’ve probably heard the word ganas. 

This word is often translated into English as motivation, but it is used differently in Spanish. 

Employers looking for workers post signs that say “con ganas de trabajar,” meaning they’re looking for someone willing and eager to work. But when a friend says, “tengo ganas de ir a la playa,” they’re saying, “I feel like going to the beach.”

If someone says “no tengo ganas de salir,” they mean they don’t feel like going out. 

But if they say, “no aguanto las ganas de verte” they can’t wait to see you. 

In Spanish you can do something sin ganas (without enthusiasm or without enjoying it), with mala gana (not wanting to do it but doing it anyway) or with muchas ganas (with lots of enthusiasm). 

No matter your level of Spanish, tengo ganas de is easy to use, as it requires no verb conjugations. 

All you need is “tengo ganas de” + an infinitive verb phrase…and just like that you can start suggesting new things to do with your friends. 

Try it:

Want more practical Spanish like this?

Julie Amaro is the owner and teacher at Connections Language School in La Peñita de Jaltemba, Nayarit. She specializes in helping adults in their 60s and 70s build confidence and overcome the challenges that can come with learning Spanish later in life.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/33connections
Email: [email protected] 

A: A mangrove forest.

In southeastern Tabasco, near the Guatemala border, a mangrove forest is thriving up to 170 kilometers from the ocean. Even more surprising, it grows along the freshwater San Pedro River, within today’s Wanha’ Biosphere Reserve in Balancán and Tenosique.

So how did a coastal ecosystem get there?

Scientists traced it to the Last Interglacial, roughly 120,000 years ago, when the climate was warmer and relative sea levels here were 6–9 meters higher. The ocean pushed into present-day Tabasco, allowing mangroves to colonize the area. Then the climate cooled, and the sea retreated. The mangroves stayed behind.

Researchers found mangrove DNA linked to Gulf Coast populations, more than 100 coastal plant species, and fossil oyster shells from an ancient coastal lagoon.

More than 100,000 years later, a piece of Mexico’s ancient coastline is still alive nowhere near the coast.

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