The minister of the Supreme Court of Mexico, Hugo Aguilar, announced that the justices will not use the recently acquired armored vehicles. This decision came after a public controversy generated by the purchase. The Supreme Court issued a statement committing not to use these vehicles. This risk assessment led to the decision to renew the vehicle fleet. Faced with criticism, the minister stated that after an internal dialogue, “we have decided not to use the recently acquired armored vehicles.” The decision comes after days of public criticism over the purchase and aims to mark a line of “due austerity,” although the minister defended that the security of judges is a non-negotiable priority. On January 22, the SCJN confirmed the purchase of a new fleet of nine luxury pickup trucks, each valued at approximately 1.7 million pesos, for the use of the ministers. Regarding the new vehicles, a review process will be initiated to “decommission them or make them available to judges who face greater risks or threats,” always within the legal framework. Aguilar justified the need for secure vehicles by arguing a change in the Court's work method. He emphasized that “we are going to operate with due austerity.” He detailed that the process initiated to decommission (put up for sale) 21 of the older vehicles will continue to achieve savings. He explained that as of September 1, 2025, 43 armored vehicles had been acquired, of which only 39 were received upon taking office. The remaining four were sold to ministers of the previous administration as part of their retirement agreement. According to the minister's account, the received fleet was already in poor condition. He noted that there has been a significant increase in land travel within the country to have direct encounters with the public, a dynamic that was not common before and now involves outings “practically every weekend.” I can decide how I travel, but I do not feel empowered, nor with the right to decide on the road safety of my fellow ministers. It was a matter of 30 Suburbans and 9 Jeep pickup trucks, models 2019, 2020, and 2021. “Austerity is not a symbolic act,” he declared, while emphasizing that the Court acts autonomously and without representing any political movement. In case it is not possible to return them, it was proposed that they could be assigned to other judges who face risks due to their function.
