Organized Crime and Labor Rights Conflict at Camino Rojo Mine

A Rapid Response Labor Mechanism (RRM) panel established under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) has determined that a severe denial of labor rights occurred at the Camino Rojo mine in Zacatecas, Mexico. The gold and silver mine is owned by the Canada-based corporation Orla Mining, Ltd.

The determination, published on March 26, 2026, found that the mining company interfered with the union activities of its workers. Specifically, the panel identified a discriminatory attitude and intervention by the company to favor its preferred union, the Minas Union, over the incumbent union at the site, Los Mineros, also known as section 335 of the National Mining Union (Sindicato Nacional Minero).

Use of Organized Crime and Intimidation

The panel found that the interference in union activities was aggravated by acts of intimidation and coercion. These actions were intended to force workers to disaffiliate from Los Mineros and join the Minas Union. The panel characterized Camino Rojo as the main promoter in the Denial of Rights due to its facilitation of these activities.

Investigation findings indicate that the company used organized crime to threaten workers and members of the National Mining Union. According to reports from La Jornada and ContraRéplica, the panel documented evidence of death threats and violence occurring both at the homes of workers and during union assemblies.

Further reporting indicates that the company hired a drug trafficker to use armed individuals to disrupt union meetings and pressure employees to leave their organization in favor of a union affiliated with the company. The panel noted that the awareness of organized crime in the area of the mine increased the responsibility of Orla Mining and Camino Rojo to protect the rights of the workers.

International and Government Responses

United States Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer stated that the determination underscores the role of the RRM in ensuring that facilities in Mexico do not gain an unfair advantage by violating collective bargaining and freedom of association rights. Greer stated his intention to use the RRM to the fullest extent to enforce the labor obligations of Mexico under the USMCA.

Today’s determination further underscores the important role of the RRM in leveling the playing field for American workers and ensuring that facilities in Mexico cannot gain an unfair advantage by violating workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Ambassador Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative

The Mexican government has pushed back against the ruling. The Secretariat of Labor and Social Welfare (STPS) has dismissed the panel’s resolution regarding the Camino Rojo mine.

Worker Appeals for Protection

In response to the alliance between the mining company and organized crime, workers at the site reportedly requested support and protection from the Mexican Army and Navy. Despite these requests and the threats faced by the laborers, reports indicate that authorities ignored the warnings.

The panel concluded that the success of the effort to force workers to join the Minas Union implied a serious violation of labor rights. These actions directly affected the exercise of collective bargaining and the freedom of association for the workers at the Zacatecas facility.