Daily Killings in Mexico Fall Thirty-Seven Percent In Claudia Sheinbaum, According to Government Statistics

The typical number of per-day murders per month in the country has decreased by thirty-seven percent since Head of State Claudia Sheinbaum began her term, as stated by recent administrative statistics. But, security analysts have warned that murder numbers could fail to point to improved national safety.

Marked Reduction in Daily Numbers

Officials reported an mean of almost 55 homicides a day in last November compared with roughly 87 when the President assumed the presidential office in September of last year. This announcement was provided by the head of the nation's federal safety agency, Marcela Figueroa Franco, during the leader's regular press briefing on a recent Tuesday.

“The figures in killings that we’ve had during these months is very significant,” Claudia Sheinbaum said, adding that last month the lowest figure of murders were registered for any single November in the past decade.

Recent Background and Government Plan

Intense organized crime infighting, alongside the administration's highly militarised efforts to confront the trafficking organizations, have made Mexico’s homicide numbers rise sharply in recent times. The rate peaked at a maximum of 36,773 killings in 2020, according to the nation's national statistics agency.

That resulted in Mexico a murder rate more than four times greater than the United States. From that point, murders have been on the decrease, declining to 33,550 in the last calendar year. Sheinbaum has attributed her national security approach for an seemingly steeper reduction in homicides this year.

At a news briefing in August, the President stated: “We have a strategy, there is tracking of the strategy, and there is specific tracking town by town in some cases. The plan functions. And we have to persist at it every day.”

The main pillars of the President's safety strategy encompass:

• Strengthening Mexico’s federal guard.
• Enhancing information gathering and investigative work.
• Increased collaboration between government authorities.

Expert Caution and Statistical Concerns

Nevertheless, security analysts cautioned that relying on murder numbers to draw a conclusion of pacification was flawed. This is especially true considering the rise in other criminal activities such as forced disappearances.

“That would be positive news if this was a reduction, but I think we can’t just look at the homicide data and conclude: ‘Oh well, great,’” said Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, an authority on Mexican organised crime. “I would be tentatively optimistic.”

According to the public policy analysis organization Mexico Evalúa, killings in total dropped by over 20% in the first 10 months of this year relative to the same timeframe last year. But, disappearances have risen by 15% and in certain states have risen by as much as 200%.

“Numbers on homicides is no longer valid for assessing the situation of public insecurity,” argued Armando Vargas, a security analyst at Mexico Evalúa. “Firstly, we have police and investigators who lack the ability or the desire to correctly recognize and categorize bodies. Secondly, organised [criminals] … have the ability to conceal violence through disappearances.”

Vargas noted that using month-to-month averages of everyday killings was similarly an issue because it could mask days when there were notably elevated levels of murders.

“Using the per-day average makes spikes of violent crime unseen,” he stated.

Arrests and Seizures as Metrics of Progress

Where the administration can point to the effectiveness of its security strategy is on detentions and confiscations. Close to 40,000 people were detained between last October and November 2025 for major offenses, per government figures. More than 20,000 firearms were seized and 311 tonnes of drugs seized.

“Donald Trump can't claim President Sheinbaum of doing nothing, because in reality she is doing a lot with these many thousands of detentions, thousands of seizures, and all the operational weakening of criminal groups. It’s very politically beneficial,” stated Vargas.

Persistent Violence and Public Anger

However despite these actions, Mexico remains grappling with extreme violence, with several regions in the throes of cartel-related bloodshed. Recently there was a prominent killing of a popular local official in the region of Michoacan, one of 10 local leaders killed in the past year.

A short time after, many thousands of young people demonstrated in Mexico City and throughout the nation to show their outrage at corruption and cartel violence.

“The federal government shares [data] in a manner to build a picture of improvement. From a political standpoint it’s extremely successful, socially it’s very questionable,” the analyst remarked.