Day-to-Day Murders in the nation Fall 37% During President Sheinbaum, Per Official Figures

The mean number of everyday murders monthly in Mexico has dropped by thirty-seven percent since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office, as stated by recent government statistics. Nevertheless, security experts have advised that homicide data might not point to better national stability.

Significant Reduction in Daily Averages

There was an mean of nearly 55 killings a day in the month of November as opposed to almost 87 when the President assumed the presidency in the previous September. This data was provided by the chief of the country’s national public security system, Marcela Figueroa Franco, during the leader's daily press briefing on Tuesday.

“The outcome in killings that we’ve had during these months is very notable,” Claudia Sheinbaum said, adding that last month the least amount of murders were recorded for any November in the last 10 years.

Historical Background and Government Strategy

Violent organized crime infighting, alongside the administration's highly military efforts to confront the cartels, have made Mexico’s homicide rate escalate in the past few years. The figure reached a record high of 36,773 homicides in 2020, as reported by the nation's national statistics office.

That gave Mexico a murder figure over 4x greater than the United States. Since then, murders have been on the decline, falling to 33,550 the previous year. Sheinbaum has attributed her public safety approach for an ostensibly more pronounced decline in homicides in the current year.

At a press conference in August, the head of state stated: “There is a strategy, there is tracking of the plan, and there is specific tracking locality by locality in certain cases. The strategy is effective. And we have to continue working at it daily.”

The main pillars of Sheinbaum’s safety strategy include:

• Reinforcing Mexico’s federal guard.
• Improving intelligence and investigative work.
• Increased cooperation between various departments.

Expert Warnings and Data Concerns

But, security researchers cautioned that focusing solely on homicide numbers to draw a conclusion of peace was problematic. This is notably true in light of the rise in other criminal activities such as people going missing.

“It would be positive information if this were a decrease, but I think we can’t just focus on the murder data and think: ‘Oh well, excellent,’” stated Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, an expert on Mexican criminal organizations. “I would be guardedly optimistic.”

As reported by the policy analysis organization Mexico Evalúa, killings in total fell by more than 20% in the first 10 months of this year versus the identical period last year. But, disappearances have increased by 15% and in certain states have increased by up to 200%.

“Numbers on homicides is no longer valid for gauging the reality of public insecurity,” stated Armando Vargas, a safety analyst at Mexico Evalúa. “First, we have law enforcement and investigators who do not have the ability or the desire to properly identify and classify corpses. Second, organized [criminals] … have the means to mask violent acts through disappearances.”

Vargas added that relying on monthly means of everyday killings was additionally an issue because it might hide days when there were especially elevated numbers of murders.

“Relying on the daily average renders surges of violence less visible,” he stated.

Detentions and Seizures as Measures of Progress

An area where the government can point to the effectiveness of its security plan is on detentions and confiscations. Close to 40,000 suspects were apprehended between October 2024 and November 2025 for high-impact offenses, according to government figures. More than 20,000 weapons were confiscated and 311 tons of narcotics intercepted.

“Trump can't accuse President Sheinbaum of not acting, because the reality is she is doing a lot with these thousands of arrests, thousands of seizures, and all the operational weakening of organised crime. It’s extremely politically advantageous,” said Vargas.

Persistent Violence and Societal Frustration

However in spite of these actions, Mexico remains plagued by high bloodshed, with multiple states in the throes of cartel-fueled conflict. In the previous month there was a prominent killing of a well-liked mayor in the state of Michoacan, among 10 local leaders assassinated in the last 12 months.

Weeks later, thousands of protesters took to the streets in Mexico City and throughout the country to voice their anger at corruption and drug violence.

“The administration shares [data] in a manner to construct a picture of improvement. From a political standpoint it’s highly successful, from a social perspective it’s extremely debatable,” Vargas remarked.