Day-to-Day Killings in the nation Fall Over a Third In President Sheinbaum, As per Official Statistics

The mean number of daily murders monthly in the country has dropped by thirty-seven percent since President Claudia Sheinbaum began her term, per new administrative data. However, public safety specialists have cautioned that homicide figures might not indicate better countrywide security.

Significant Drop in Per-Day Figures

Officials reported an mean of almost 55 killings a day in last November versus roughly 87 when Sheinbaum assumed the presidency in the previous September. This data was delivered by the director of the nation's federal safety agency, Marcela Figueroa Franco, during the president’s regular press briefing on Tuesday.

“The result in killings that we have seen over these months is extremely notable,” Claudia Sheinbaum remarked, noting that last month the least number of homicides were registered for any November in the last decade.

Historical Background and Government Plan

Intense drug cartel internal conflicts, combined with the administration's heavily militarised operations to take on the trafficking organizations, have caused Mexico’s murder rate escalate in the past few years. The figure hit a peak of 36,773 homicides in 2020, as reported by the nation's national statistics office.

That resulted in Mexico a homicide rate over 4x higher than that of the United States. From that point, killings have been on the downward trend, dropping to 33,550 the previous year. Claudia Sheinbaum has attributed her public safety strategy for an seemingly more pronounced decline in homicides in the current year.

At a media briefing in August, the Mexican leader stated: “There is a plan, we have tracking of the strategy, and we have detailed tracking municipality by municipality in some cases. The strategy works. And we have to keep working at it daily.”

The key pillars of Sheinbaum’s safety plan include:

• Reinforcing Mexico’s federal guard.
• Enhancing information gathering and investigative capabilities.
• Increased cooperation between various agencies.

Analyst Skepticism and Data Concerns

Nevertheless, public safety analysts warned that using homicide data to assess the situation of improved security was misleading. This is particularly true considering the uptick in different criminal activities such as forced disappearances.

“It would be excellent news if this were a reduction, but I think we shouldn't just look at the homicide numbers and conclude: ‘Well then, excellent,’” said Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, an expert on Mexican criminal organizations. “I would be guardedly positive.”

As reported by the policy analysis organization Mexico Evalúa, homicides in total declined by more than 20% in the first 10 months of this year compared with the identical timeframe the previous year. But, disappearances have increased by 15% and in certain states have surged by up to 200%.

“Data on homicides is no longer useful for assessing the situation of public insecurity,” stated Armando Vargas, a security expert at Mexico Evalúa. “First, we have law enforcement and prosecutors who do not have the ability or the inclination to accurately recognize and categorize corpses. Secondly, organised [criminals] … have the ability to conceal violence through abductions.”

Vargas noted that relying on monthly means of everyday killings was similarly problematic because it may mask periods when there were notably elevated numbers of killings.

“Using the daily mean makes spikes of violent crime invisible,” he said.

Detentions and Confiscations as Measures of Success

Where the administration can point to the effectiveness of its safety plan is on detentions and seizures. Nearly 40,000 individuals were arrested between October 2024 and November 2025 for high-impact crimes, according to official data. Over 20,000 guns were confiscated and 311 tonnes of drugs seized.

“The former US president can't claim President Sheinbaum of inaction, because the reality is she is doing a lot with these many thousands of arrests, many thousands of confiscations, and all the tactical weakening of criminal groups. It’s extremely in political terms beneficial,” commented Vargas.

Persistent Unrest and Societal Frustration

But despite these actions, Mexico is still grappling with high violence, with multiple regions in the grip of cartel-fueled conflict. In the previous month there was a high-profile murder of a well-liked mayor in the state of Michoacan, among 10 local leaders murdered in the past year.

Weeks after, many thousands of youth protested in the capital and across the country to voice their frustration at graft and narco-violence.

“The federal government shares [data] in a manner to construct a narrative of improvement. Politically it’s highly effective, socially it’s highly questionable,” the analyst concluded.