đ Share this article Daily Killings in the nation Decline 37% During the Sheinbaum Administration, According to Official Figures The average figure of daily killings each month in Mexico has fallen by thirty-seven percent since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office, according to recent administrative figures. Nevertheless, public safety experts have warned that homicide numbers could fail to indicate enhanced countrywide security. Marked Decline in Per-Day Numbers Officials reported an mean of close to 55 murders a day in the month of November versus nearly 87 when Sheinbaum assumed the leadership in the previous September. This announcement was shared by the director of the countryâs national public security system, Marcela Figueroa Franco, during the presidentâs daily news conference on Tuesday. âThe outcome in murders that we have seen in these months is extremely notable,â the President said, explaining that last month the smallest figure of homicides were recorded for any November in the last 10 years. Recent Background and Government Plan Violent drug cartel rivalries, coupled with the administration's highly military operations to confront the cartels, have caused Mexicoâs homicide rate escalate in recent years. The figure reached a peak of 36,773 homicides in 2020, according to the nation's national statistics office. That gave Mexico a murder figure over four times greater than the United States. From that point, homicides have been on the decline, falling to 33,550 last year. Sheinbaum has attributed her public safety plan for an seemingly steeper decline in killings this year. At a media briefing in the summer, the head of state stated: âWe have a plan, we have monitoring of the plan, and we have specific tracking town by town in certain cases. The approach functions. And we have to keep working at it every day.â The main components of Sheinbaumâs security strategy encompass: Reinforcing Mexicoâs federal guard. Enhancing information gathering and investigation capabilities. Increased collaboration between various agencies. Expert Skepticism and Data Concerns Nevertheless, public safety analysts warned that focusing solely on murder data to paint a picture of improved security was problematic. This is especially true given the increase in other criminal activities such as forced disappearances. âThis would be positive information if this was a decrease, but I think we must not just focus on the homicide data and conclude: âAlright, great,ââ said Cecilia FarfĂĄn-MĂ©ndez, an specialist on Mexico's cartels. âI would be guardedly optimistic.â As reported by the policy analysis organization Mexico EvalĂșa, murders in total dropped by over 20% in the first 10 months of the current year compared with the same timeframe last year. However, disappearances have increased by 15% and in certain regions have increased by up to 200%. âNumbers on homicides is not valid for gauging the context of insecurity,â argued Armando Vargas, a security analyst at Mexico EvalĂșa. âFirst, we have law enforcement and prosecutors who do not have the resources or the will to correctly identify and categorize corpses. Secondly, organised [criminals] ⊠have the means to mask violence through disappearances.â Vargas pointed out that using month-to-month means of everyday homicides was similarly an issue because it might obscure days when there were notably elevated levels of killings. âUsing the per-day mean makes surges of violence invisible,â he stated. Detentions and Confiscations as Metrics of Progress An area where the administration can cite the effectiveness of its security plan is on detentions and seizures. Nearly 40,000 individuals were detained between October 2024 and November 2025 for major crimes, according to official data. Over 20,000 guns were confiscated and 311 tonnes of narcotics seized. âThe former US president can't accuse President Sheinbaum of not acting, because the reality is she is doing a lot with these thousands of detentions, thousands of confiscations, and all the operational weakening of organised crime. Itâs very politically beneficial,â said Vargas. Ongoing Unrest and Public Anger Yet despite these efforts, Mexico remains plagued by high bloodshed, with several states in the throes of cartel-driven violence. Last month there was a high-profile murder of a popular mayor in the state of Michoacan, among 10 local leaders killed in the last year. A short time later, thousands of protesters demonstrated in the capital and throughout the nation to show their outrage at graft and cartel violence. âThe government frames [data] in a way to construct a picture of safety. From a political standpoint itâs highly potent, from a social perspective itâs highly questionable,â the analyst remarked.
The average figure of daily killings each month in Mexico has fallen by thirty-seven percent since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office, according to recent administrative figures. Nevertheless, public safety experts have warned that homicide numbers could fail to indicate enhanced countrywide security. Marked Decline in Per-Day Numbers Officials reported an mean of close to 55 murders a day in the month of November versus nearly 87 when Sheinbaum assumed the leadership in the previous September. This announcement was shared by the director of the countryâs national public security system, Marcela Figueroa Franco, during the presidentâs daily news conference on Tuesday. âThe outcome in murders that we have seen in these months is extremely notable,â the President said, explaining that last month the smallest figure of homicides were recorded for any November in the last 10 years. Recent Background and Government Plan Violent drug cartel rivalries, coupled with the administration's highly military operations to confront the cartels, have caused Mexicoâs homicide rate escalate in recent years. The figure reached a peak of 36,773 homicides in 2020, according to the nation's national statistics office. That gave Mexico a murder figure over four times greater than the United States. From that point, homicides have been on the decline, falling to 33,550 last year. Sheinbaum has attributed her public safety plan for an seemingly steeper decline in killings this year. At a media briefing in the summer, the head of state stated: âWe have a plan, we have monitoring of the plan, and we have specific tracking town by town in certain cases. The approach functions. And we have to keep working at it every day.â The main components of Sheinbaumâs security strategy encompass: Reinforcing Mexicoâs federal guard. Enhancing information gathering and investigation capabilities. Increased collaboration between various agencies. Expert Skepticism and Data Concerns Nevertheless, public safety analysts warned that focusing solely on murder data to paint a picture of improved security was problematic. This is especially true given the increase in other criminal activities such as forced disappearances. âThis would be positive information if this was a decrease, but I think we must not just focus on the homicide data and conclude: âAlright, great,ââ said Cecilia FarfĂĄn-MĂ©ndez, an specialist on Mexico's cartels. âI would be guardedly optimistic.â As reported by the policy analysis organization Mexico EvalĂșa, murders in total dropped by over 20% in the first 10 months of the current year compared with the same timeframe last year. However, disappearances have increased by 15% and in certain regions have increased by up to 200%. âNumbers on homicides is not valid for gauging the context of insecurity,â argued Armando Vargas, a security analyst at Mexico EvalĂșa. âFirst, we have law enforcement and prosecutors who do not have the resources or the will to correctly identify and categorize corpses. Secondly, organised [criminals] ⊠have the means to mask violence through disappearances.â Vargas pointed out that using month-to-month means of everyday homicides was similarly an issue because it might obscure days when there were notably elevated levels of killings. âUsing the per-day mean makes surges of violence invisible,â he stated. Detentions and Confiscations as Metrics of Progress An area where the administration can cite the effectiveness of its security plan is on detentions and seizures. Nearly 40,000 individuals were detained between October 2024 and November 2025 for major crimes, according to official data. Over 20,000 guns were confiscated and 311 tonnes of narcotics seized. âThe former US president can't accuse President Sheinbaum of not acting, because the reality is she is doing a lot with these thousands of detentions, thousands of confiscations, and all the operational weakening of organised crime. Itâs very politically beneficial,â said Vargas. Ongoing Unrest and Public Anger Yet despite these efforts, Mexico remains plagued by high bloodshed, with several states in the throes of cartel-driven violence. Last month there was a high-profile murder of a popular mayor in the state of Michoacan, among 10 local leaders killed in the last year. A short time later, thousands of protesters demonstrated in the capital and throughout the nation to show their outrage at graft and cartel violence. âThe government frames [data] in a way to construct a picture of safety. From a political standpoint itâs highly potent, from a social perspective itâs highly questionable,â the analyst remarked.