LexBlog (LexBlog Mexico)

I asked in this post last month what folks thought would be the proper state sentence for the “Rust” movie armorer who was convicted of manslaughter in New Mexico.  This CBS News piece reports at length on the outcome of the actual sentencing (and the broader context of this high-profile case).  Here are excerpts: The...

On Saturday morning, Holland America Line (HAL)’s M/S Rotterdam arrived at Port Everglades after a six day cruise to Mexico and the Western Caribbean without one of its crew members. HAL didn’t realize that one of its ship employees disappeared during the cruise until, apparently, another crew member noticed that he had not reported to...

Tropicale Foods of Modesto, CA, is voluntarily recalling 5,224 units of Helados Mexico Mini Cream Variety Pack with best by date of “MO Best By 10/11/2025”, because the mango bars in the variety pack have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.  The product was distributed at retail locations in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts,...

Today, I watched a TicTok video posted by Crystalmerier3 who recently went on a four day vacation cruise from Galveston, Texas to ports in Mexico with her seven-year old daughter. During the cruise, they went together to a movie on the Lido Deck to watch Spiderman when mom went for about one minute to get...

Tropicale Foods of Modesto, CA is recalling Helados Mexico Mini Cream Variety Pack because the mango bars in the variety pack are potentially contaminated with Salmonella. Testing on the mango bars revealed that the finished product may contain Salmonella.  According to the company’s recall, the product was distributed at retail locations in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana,...

Tropicale Foods of Modesto, CA is voluntarily recalling 5,224 units of Helados Mexico Mini Cream Variety Pack with best by date of “MO Best By 10/11/2025”, because the mango bars in the variety pack have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail...

In Calvary Albuquerque Inc. v. Blinken, (D NM, March 13, 2024), a New Mexico federal district court dismissed challenges to the denial of an R-1 (Temporary Religious Worker) visa for Stefen Green, a South African citizen who was to be hired as Calvary Church’s Worship Director. At issue was the fact that Green received honoraria and...

In a vote that stretched into the evening, New Mexico’s legislature passed House Bill 41 by a 26-15 vote on February 13. The bill, which establishes a statewide program known as the “Clean Transportation Fuel Standards,” makes New Mexico the fourth U.S. state to enact a clean fuel standard (i.e., a marked-based set of policies...

Researchers have analyzed travel-associated infections in people returning to the United States from abroad. From 2017 to 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated 41 multistate outbreaks of non-typhoidal Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) linked to international travel. In the same time frame, CDC handled 470 domestic possible and confirmed multiple state

FSIS’ International Liaison Director in Mexico City, Mexico, Ciarra Toomey, began her USDA career in 2008 as a trial attorney with the Office of the General Counsel’s (OGC) Trade Practices Division, now the Marketing, Regulatory and Food Safety Programs Division. In her role with OGC, Toomey represented and provided legal counsel to USDA agencies, including...

It appears that the winter holidays are truly over now, as the pace has picked up and the federal courts have issued more ERISA-related decisions. No one case in particular stood out this week, but there were plenty of entertaining facts and issues. Read on to learn about (a) potential transgender discrimination in medical benefits,...

Audience Product The following product tags are provided to be representative of labeling that would accompany the implicated oysters and could include the various harvest dates as identified in this safety alert. Purpose The FDA is advising restaurants and food retailers not to serve or sell and to dispose of and consumers not to eat...

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is reporting that there are more than 150 suspected local cases of gastrointestinal illness linked to the consumption of raw oysters, likely caused by norovirus. At this time, Public Health is warning consumers not to eat raw oysters from Laguna De Guerrero Negro, Baja California, Mexico; Laguna...

Oyster associated norovirus cases are also being reported in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties. Both the California Department of Public Health and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are now actively engaged in the investigation.   The investigation of oyster-linked illnesses by County of San Diego health officials has expanded to include...

Oyster associated norovirus cases are also being reported in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties. Both the California Department of Public Health and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are now actively engaged in the investigation.   The investigation of oyster-linked illnesses by County of San Diego health officials has expanded to include...

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is reporting that there are more than 150 suspected local cases of gastrointestinal illness linked to the consumption of raw oysters, likely caused by norovirus. At this time, Public Health is warning consumers not to eat raw oysters from Laguna De Guerrero Negro, Baja California, Mexico; Laguna...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning about certain tejocote root supplements substituted with toxic yellow oleander. FDA analysis has determined that certain dietary supplements labeled as tejocote (Crataegus mexicana) root because they were tested and found to be substituted with yellow oleander (Cascabela thevetia), a poisonous plant native to Mexico and...

The number of horses likely being exported for slaughter has not dropped off anywhere near enough for animal activists. It is believed that Mexican slaughter plants during 2023 took 17,997 horses from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, according to the non-governmental organization Animal Wellness Action. The Washington D.C.-based group says: “This was the  most significant...

An outbreak of norovirus infections has spurred a warning from the Food and Drug Administration about certain oysters from Mexico. The FDA is advising restaurants and food retailers not to serve or sell and to dispose of oysters and consumers not to eat oysters from Sociedad Acuicola GolPac (MX 06 SP) harvested from Bahia Salina,...

County health officials have linked 41 confirmed and probable cases of norovirus illness to raw oysters imported from a specific harvest location in Northwest Mexico.   The cases began in mid-December following dining on raw oysters from Sonora, Mexico. These implicated oysters have only been available through restaurants and wholesale locations. The County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA)

Marler Clark has been retained to help dozens of victims. To date 466 sick, 190 hospitalized with 10 deaths – these numbers will rise this week after CDC updates case count. Hardest hit are children under 5 and adults over 65. Trufresh began this recall after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) determined that Malichita...

In an historic development for the financial services industry, a group of employees at a Wells Fargo branch bank in Albuquerque, New Mexico voted this week to join Wells Fargo Workers United, a grassroots labor union backed by the Communications Workers of America. The successful vote marks the first time in memory that employees at a major U.S. bank have elected to unionize. Workers at Wells...

Effective Jan. 1, 2024, Mexico’s minimum wage will increase by 20%. The increase was published Dec. 1, 2023, in the Council of Representatives of the National Minimum Wages Commission: Continue reading the full GT Alert.

More patients have been identified in the Salmonella outbreak traced to cantaloupe. The outbreak is now spread across 42 states. Mexican officials have closed the implicated cantaloupe operation. Since the most recent update, on Dec. 7, another 72 patients have been confirmed, bringing the total number of sick people to 302; in a related outbreak...

The CDC and FDA are suggesting that if you do not know where the Cantaloupe is from, do not risk eating any Cantaloupe. Recalled whole cantaloupe from the following brands: Recalled pre-cut cantaloupe and products containing pre-cut cantaloupes (these products are made from recalled whole cantaloupes): FDA has compiled a list of recalls being conducted by companies...

Food Safety Attorney, Bill Marler, calls for import restrictions on Mexican Cantaloupe  Salmonella Cantaloupe Outbreak has sickened 200, hospitalized 78 with 3 deaths.  (Seattle, November 30, 2023)  “Since last week the U.S. and Canadian health officials have reported 200 people with Salmonella, including 78 hospitalized with three deaths, all linked to the consumption of cantaloupe imported...

Key Points López Obrador and the SCJN On November 7, 2023, the former President of Mexico’s SCJN, Arturo Zaldívar resigned prematurely, a year before the end of his term and after serving in the Court for 14 years. The day after his resignation, Mr. Zaldívar joined the campaign of López Obrador’s favored candidate to succeed...

Products and Stores Affected (Expanded and Updated on 11/27/2023) Recalled whole cantaloupe from the following brands: Recalled cut cantaloupe and products made from recalled whole cantaloupes:

Total Illnesses: 99Hospitalizations: 45     Deaths: 2Last Illness Onset: 11/6/2023      States with Cases: AR, AZ, CA, CO, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI    Product Distribution: Nationwide Whole fresh cantaloupes with a label on...

In the US and Canada at least 125 sick, over 40 hospitalized and 2 deaths. Salmonella illness usually occurs within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and usually lasts four to seven days. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. Children younger than five, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are...