Mexico Roundup: Tropical storm recoveries, job creation, heatwaves

10,000 jobs creation

BYD Co. is poised to establish a manufacturing plant in Mexico, a move anticipated to generate approximately 10,000 jobs, aligning it with the nation's most substantial automotive factories. Jorge Vallejo, BYD's General Director for Mexico, revealed in a recent interview that the company is concluding discussions regarding the plant's location, with a formal declaration expected soon. The exact distribution of direct BYD employees and those from contractors or suppliers was not specified. This new facility is projected to surpass the employment numbers of other car manufacturers in Mexico, such as Audi, reports Bloomberg. For comparison, Volkswagen's Puebla factory, currently the largest in Mexico, has 6,100 assembly line workers and 5,000 supervisory staff, in addition to the workforce managing parts assembly. Vallejo also noted that BYD is on track to sell 50,000 vehicles in Mexico this year. The recent launch of BYD's Shark hybrid truck in Mexico underscores the country's escalating significance to the firm.

Mexico recovering from tropical storm

Tropical Storm Alberto, which marked the onset of the storm season, diminished in strength as it traversed inland across northeast Mexico on Thursday. The storm, which had delivered substantial rainfall to some drought-stricken areas, was responsible for at least four fatalities. By the afternoon, the remnants of Alberto were dispersed across central Mexico, as reported by the National Hurricane Center. Despite the storm's weakening, forecasters noted that significant rainfall, accumulating to several inches, was occurring inland within the Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and Coahuila. Meanwhile, South Texas was expected to experience a reduction in rainfall by Thursday, June 20, reports ABC. In Tampico, where the storm made landfall, the initial rainfall was less than anticipated, with intermittent showers and occasional sunshine observed during the early morning hours.

Heatwave kills 155

According to a recent health ministry report, Mexico has experienced 155 fatalities attributed to the severe heatwave that has affected the country starting from March. "During the current hot season (March 17-October 5), 155 deaths [related to high temperatures] were recorded across the country," the ministry said. In Mexico, the high temperatures have been linked to cases of heat stroke, dehydration, and burns. The coastal state of Veracruz, situated along the Gulf of Mexico, has reported the highest number of fatalities due to the heat, with a total of 56 deaths, according to News.am.

Financial sanctions

The US Treasury has imposed financial sanctions on two Mexican drug cartel leaders who are believed to be living in Mexico. They were indicted in 2017 for conspiring to import and distribute heroin in the US. The sanctions were announced by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control on Thursday, June 20, and are aimed at disrupting the cartels’ criminal operations and hitting their profits. Fox News reports that the sanctions are part of a joint effort with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Attorney’s office in Atlanta to combat drug cartel trafficking into the US.

Creating a reef

A colossal 70-foot steel sculpture, designed to resemble a cockroach, is slated to be submerged in the Gulf of Mexico to serve as an artificial reef. On Thursday, June 20, the team responsible for this unique initiative provided WLOX News with an exclusive preview of what could be a record-breaking underwater exhibit. “It’s all welded steel, and it’s welded to the tug boat,” said Bruno Milanese, the owner of Bay Pest Control, which started the project. “I decided if I was going to get involved in it, it was going to be very, very interesting. We decided to create the world’s largest cockroach and make it the world’s only cockroach reef.”