In recent years, Sonora has been the site of dozens of clandestine grave discoveries, many of which were made by groups of volunteer searchers.

Earlier this week, the U.S. expanded a pilot program to make travel easier for Mexican shoppers in Arizona. But cross-border travel has been officially off-limits to shoppers and tourists since March. Now would-be travelers are still getting mixed messages about whether or not it’s safe to cross the border this holiday season.

With five reporters killed in likely retaliation for their work, Mexico edged out Syria and Afghanistan as the most dangerous country for reporters, according to a year-end report from the Committee to Protect Journalists. One of the likely cases of retaliatory murder was in southern Sonora.

Cajeme, which includes Sonora's second-largest city Ciudad Obregón, is one of several Sonoran municipalities with chart-topping murder rates.

This week, Mexico’s president inaugurated new National Guard barracks in rural Sonora. It’s part of the expanded role the force is playing in Arizona’s neighboring state and across the country.

Mexico’s Congress has passed a national security reform stripping all foreign agents of diplomatic immunity and requiring them to share any intelligence they obtain with Mexican officials.

Environmental groups filed a petition under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement over what they call the Mexican government’s failure to protect endangered sea turtles from drowning in fishing gear.

Mexico’s president has nominated the country’s next ambassador to the United States, just days after the current ambassador announced her plans to retire.

Pandemic restrictions have recently been strengthened, with some forced to close and others required to operate at reduced capacity and hours.