Failed Magnate Backs Call for Deportation of Fellow Mexicans: 'ICE Do Your Thing'

Failed Magnate Backs Call for Deportation of Fellow Mexicans: 'ICE Do Your Thing'

Author: Soberanía Podcast July 22, 2026 Duration: 58:15

In episode 116 of Soberanía, hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth open with Claudia Sheinbaum's last-minute trip to New York for the World Cup final — and the overwhelming reception she received from the Mexican migrant community. The hosts contrast this with the reaction of oligarch Ricardo Salinas Pliego, who responded to video of the welcoming crowd by retweeting a tweet with the text "ICE do your thing," effectively calling for the agency to target his own compatriots. Next, they analyze the life sentence handed down to Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada — and the death of the opposition's fever dream that he would "sing" and implicate AMLO, Sheinbaum, or Morena, dashing the hopes of those who spent months insinuating otherwise, including former ambassador Ken Salazar, who peddled the rumor for the grubby purpose of increasing book sales.The episode then covers the dismantling of the largest fuel-smuggling network in the country, linked to former Baja California governor Ernesto Ruffo Appel, who allegedly defrauded the treasury of over 4 billion pesos. The hosts note the irony of the right-wing opposition immediately crying "political prisoner" while simultaneously launching a new political party whose first major cause is defending an accused gasoline smuggler. The hosts also highlight a scoop from colleague Jesús García: weapons linked to the U.S. State Department have been seized from criminal groups in Tamaulipas, adding yet another chapter to the long history of U.S. arms ending up in cartel hands.Losers and Haters takes aim at the right-wing echo chamber — from Kenya López Rabadán calling Ruffo a political prisoner to columnist Sergio Sarmiento defending him with the flimsiest of pretexts.


Navigating the complex landscape of Mexican politics requires more than just headlines. Soberanía: The Mexican Politics Podcast offers a distinct entry point, providing consistent news and analysis grounded in a grassroots, leftist perspective. This isn't about distant political commentary; it's about understanding the forces, movements, and people shaping Mexico from the ground up. Each episode digs into the stories behind the news, examining the players and power dynamics that often get lost in translation for English-language audiences. You'll hear discussions that connect policy to everyday life, analyzing developments with a focus on social movements, labor, and community action. The goal is to foster a deeper, more nuanced comprehension of the country beyond conventional narratives. By tuning into this podcast, you gain access to a dedicated space for thoughtful exploration of Mexican current affairs, where analysis is tied directly to the perspectives of those most impacted by political decisions. The Soberanía Podcast serves as a vital resource for anyone looking to move past superficial reporting and engage with the substantive, often overlooked, conversations defining Mexico's present and future.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Soberanía: The Mexican Politics Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Exposing the Astroturf ‘Gen Z’ Protest in Mexico [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:04
How do you do, fellow kids? In this special episode of Soberanía, hosts Kurt Hackbarth and José Luis Granados Ceja lay out the truth behind what was billed as a "youth" march and instead was a by-the-book, attempt at ast…
The Post-Monroe Moment: Mexico and Europe Rewire their Relationship [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:19
This week on Soberanía, Kurt Hackbarth and José Luis Granados Ceja bundle up for a freezing Mexico City episode and break down three stories that reveal where Mexico stands in today’s shifting global politics. First, the…
Mexico's Sheinbaum Condemns US Bombings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:03
In this week's episode of Soberanía, hosts Kurt Hackbarth and José Luis Granados Ceja dive into the Trump administration’s latest round of extrajudicial military assassinations — this time in the Pacific — and Mexico’s r…
Mexico's Right-Wing Opposition Rebrands: Just a Flash in the "PAN" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:11
In this episode of Soberanía, hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth unpack the supposed relaunch of Mexico's right-wing party, the PAN: can it really reclaim relevance with the same people peddling the same pr…
The Nobel 'Peace' Prize Farce ...And What It Could Mean for Mexico [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:43
In this week's episode of Soberanía, hosts Kurt Hackbarth and José Luis Granados react to the farcical irony of far-right Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, unpacking her l…
Onshoring Sadism: The US 'War on Terror' Comes to Latin America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:16
This week on Soberanía, hosts José Luis Granados Ceja and Kurt Hackbarth break down Washington’s latest escalation as the US declares itself to be in a "non-international armed conflict" with cartels, exploring how it is…
Mexico's Sheinbaum: 'Stop the Genocide in Gaza' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:26
In this week’s episode of Soberanía, hosts Kurt Hackbarth and José Luis Granados Ceja unpack Claudia Sheinbaum’s decision to call Israel’s assault on Gaza a “genocide” for the first time ahead of the UN General Assembly,…