Mexico's Profepa orders shutdown of illegal mining and construction in protected areas

The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) sealed off an illegal excavation site in the Chicalote River basin near Jaltomate, Aguascalientes. Inspectors found more than 2,349 m² of riverbank dug up to eight metres deep without environmental permits, damaging local flora such as alamos, sauces, mezquites and huizaches. A 12‑cubic‑metre dump truck, two screens and a front‑loader were seized, and a legal‑administrative proceeding was launched against the perpetrators.

Profepa also ordered the temporary total closure of multiple unauthorized structures inside the El Chico National Park in Hidalgo. Over 2,500 m² of oak forest were affected by a concrete cabin, event hall, parking lots, stone‑caked road, fence and earth‑moving activities, all carried out without federal permits. The agency, supported by local security forces, is pursuing administrative sanctions while the sites remain shut down.