The first month of Claudia Sheinbaum's administration in Mexico has been characterized by a 25.4% decrease in the daily average of intentional homicides compared to the most critical point in February 2019 during the six-year term of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. According to Marcela Figueroa, executive secretary of the National Public Security System, October 2024 has recorded the lowest number of these crimes since 2017.
Despite the downward trend at the national level, Sinaloa has experienced an increase in intentional homicides during September and October. Figueroa mentions that the internal conflict in the Sinaloa Cartel intensified after 'El Mayo' Zambada was handed over to U.S. authorities by Guzmán López, triggering a wave of violence with more than 200 murders in the region since September 9.
Regarding the geographical distribution of these crimes, Figueroa highlights that 50% of the intentional homicides in the country are concentrated in six states: Guanajuato, Baja California, Estado de México, Chihuahua, Jalisco, Guerrero, and Nuevo León. She emphasizes that the pacification strategy implemented by López Obrador's government has been key to maintaining the downward trend in these crimes.
On the other hand, there has been a reduction of 40.38% in high-impact crimes between February 2019 and September 2024. In September 2019, compared to the same month of the current year, intentional homicides decreased by 8.2%, femicides by 14.9%, and various violent robberies among other encouraging figures. Extortion is the only crime that has registered an increase, with an 18.3% rise.
The Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection, led by Omar García Harfuch, reported that in the first 28 days of Sheinbaum's administration, 824 arrests related to high-impact crimes have been made, and large quantities of drugs and fentanyl have been seized. Additionally, members of six criminal groups have been captured, including cartels such as the Pacific, Santa Rosa de Lima, and Jalisco New Generation.
