Day-to-Day Killings in the nation Drop 37% Under Claudia Sheinbaum, According to Government Figures

The typical count of everyday homicides monthly in Mexico has decreased by 37% since Head of State Claudia Sheinbaum took office, according to new official statistics. But, public safety analysts have warned that homicide numbers may not indicate improved national safety.

Notable Drop in Per-Day Figures

Officials reported an average of almost 55 murders a day in November versus roughly 87 when Claudia Sheinbaum began the leadership in September. This announcement was provided by the head of the country’s federal public security agency, Marcela Figueroa Franco, during the president’s regular news conference on a recent Tuesday.

“The result in killings that have been recorded in these past months is very important,” the President remarked, adding that the previous month the smallest figure of homicides were registered for any single November in the past decade.

Recent Context and Government Strategy

Intense drug cartel infighting, combined with the administration's highly military campaigns to combat the trafficking organizations, have made Mexico’s homicide rate soar in recent years. The rate peaked at a maximum of 36,773 homicides in 2020, according to the nation's official data agency.

That meant Mexico a murder figure over four times greater than the US. However, homicides have been on the decrease, dropping to 33,550 last year. The President has attributed her public safety approach for an seemingly sharper reduction in killings this year.

At a news briefing in August, the President stated: “There is a plan, we have oversight of the plan, and there is detailed monitoring municipality by municipality in certain cases. The strategy functions. And we have to persist at it daily.”

The main pillars of Sheinbaum’s safety strategy involve:

• Bolstering Mexico’s national guard.
• Advancing intelligence and investigative work.
• Greater collaboration between government authorities.

Expert Skepticism and Data Limitations

Nevertheless, public safety experts urged caution that focusing solely on homicide statistics to paint a picture of improved security was problematic. This is notably true in light of the increase in different criminal activities such as abductions.

“That would be excellent news if this were a reduction, but I think we can’t just look at the murder data and think: ‘Well then, good,’” said Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, an specialist on Mexico's criminal organizations. “I would be guardedly positive.”

As reported by the public policy research organization Mexico Evalúa, homicides overall declined by over 20% in the initial 10 months of the current year relative to the identical timeframe the previous year. But, missing persons cases have risen by 15% and in certain states have surged by as much as 200%.

“Data on homicides is no longer valid for gauging the reality of insecurity,” stated Armando Vargas, a security analyst at Mexico Evalúa. “Firstly, we have law enforcement and prosecutors who do not have the ability or the desire to correctly identify and classify bodies. Second, organized [criminals] … have the ability to conceal violent acts through disappearances.”

Vargas pointed out that using month-to-month means of everyday homicides was similarly an issue because it may hide days when there were notably high levels of killings.

“Employing the per-day mean renders high peaks of violent crime unseen,” he stated.

Detentions and Seizures as Metrics of Progress

Where the government can cite the success of its safety plan is on arrests and confiscations. Almost 40,000 individuals were detained between October 2024 and November 2025 for high-impact crimes, per official data. Over 20,000 guns were taken and 311 tonnes of narcotics intercepted.

“Trump can't accuse President Sheinbaum of doing nothing, because actually she is doing a lot with these many thousands of arrests, thousands of seizures, and all the tactical degrading of criminal groups. It’s very in political terms beneficial,” said Vargas.

Ongoing Violence and Societal Frustration

But despite these actions, Mexico remains beset by severe violence, with several states in the grip of cartel-driven violence. Recently there was a prominent assassination of a popular mayor in the state of Michoacan, one of 10 local leaders killed in the past year.

Weeks after, many thousands of protesters demonstrated in Mexico City and across the country to express their frustration at corruption and cartel violence.

“The administration presents [data] in a way to build a narrative of security. From a political standpoint it’s extremely successful, socially it’s extremely debatable,” the analyst remarked.