Donald Trump masks boost sales at Mexican factory

JIUTEPEC, Mexico (KTRK) -- Business is booming at a small factory in Central Mexico, turning out the likeness of a billionaire you might recognize right away.

It's a factory bustling with activity, with workers pouring liquid plaster onto molds, painting, refining, and creating all kinds of different designs.

But, this mask factory has been busier than ever in the last few months, all thanks to the unexpected popularity of not a Mexican, but an American presidential candidate.

Take a look at the strands of artificial hair neatly placed and coifed by workers, and it's not hard to instantly recognize the liking of Donald Trump.

"We weren't making this mask with actual hair, but some of our customers asked for it," says factory executive Ricardo Esponda.

The factory believes demand will only grow in the next few months.

"We think maybe because of the polls that he will be the candidate," Esponda says.

The last shipment of the Donald Trump mask came out of this factory two weeks ago. It was 10,000 masks. Eighty percent of them were sold in the U.S. The rest, right here in Mexico.

There's only one mask beating Donald Trump's in sales: that of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the drug lord captured in January after a spectacular tunnel escape from prison last summer.

The mask that comes with a prison outfit has been flying off the shelves.

"Yeah, totally sold out," says Esponda. "We sold El Chapo masks and costumes in the Mexican territory, in all of the U.S. territory, and we sold it in Australia."

There's still a chance for Trump to compete with El Chapo, Esponda says, but only if he can with the Republican Party's presidential nomination.

The great irony?

Making a fortune off two highly controversial men whose only thing in common is dominating the headlines.