Jefferson Reporter

U.S. Senators Katie Britt and John Cornyn have issued a statement in response to the Mexican government's seizure of a deep-water port owned by Vulcan Materials Company, based in Alabama. The port was taken under the directive of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

"President López Obrador’s seizure of Vulcan’s deep-water port represents a flagrant expropriation of a lawfully permitted, U.S.-owned operation, and his administration’s assault on the rule of law is putting America’s economic and national security interests in jeopardy," said the Senators. "We have repeatedly warned him that there would be substantial ramifications if his administration crossed this line. As he attempts to execute this lame duck scheme, he will now quickly learn that we keep our promises. The incoming Mexican administration will not want to pay the crushing consequences for President López Obrador’s illegal actions, which violate both Mexican and international law, and we encourage them to intervene with all due haste in the mutually beneficial interest of both the Mexican and American people."

In 2018, Vulcan initiated a NAFTA arbitration against Mexico due to harassment, illegal land-use changes, and an unlawful shutdown of operations at its property in Quintana Roo. In May 2022, production and port operations were fully shut down by Mexican military forces on orders from AMLO.

On March 14, 2023, Vulcan's port facility at Punta Venado was seized at gunpoint by Mexican military and police forces. Senator Britt condemned this action and led a bipartisan letter to Esteban Moctezuma, Ambassador of Mexico to the United States. Following a meeting between Alabama's congressional delegation and Ambassador Moctezuma, it was announced that Mexican forces had withdrawn from the property.

Despite this withdrawal, AMLO continued to threaten further actions against Vulcan's operations in Mexico. In May 2024, Senators Britt, Kaine, Hagerty, and Tuberville wrote to Alicia Bárcena urging the reversal of actions taken against Vulcan.

In July 2024, these senators condemned AMLO's declaration designating Vulcan's land as a naturally protected area. Recently, they introduced the Defending American Property Abroad Act to impose retaliatory prohibitions against Mexico if it profits from the seizure.

Vulcan Materials Company is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.

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