Homicide rate in May was its lowest in 11 years: Tuesday’s mañanera recapped

Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds

🔫 Homicide rate hits post-2015 low: The government presented preliminary data showing an average of 47.3 homicides per day in Mexico in May — down 27.6% from May 2025 and the lowest monthly figure since Sheinbaum took office. Officials said it was also the least violent May since 2015.

📉 Downward trend extends across 2026: The January-May period averaged 50.4 homicides per day, a 29.8% drop year-on-year and the least violent such period since 2015. Murders fell in 28 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities, with San Luis Potosí leading declines at 81%.

🗺️ Guanajuato still Mexico’s deadliest state: With 668 homicides between January and May — 8.8% of the national total — Guanajuato topped the violence ranking, followed by Baja California, Chihuahua and Sinaloa.

🚔 Security sweep by the numbers: Since Sheinbaum took office in October 2024, authorities have arrested more than 56,000 people for high-impact crimes, dismantled over 2,400 drug labs, seized 419 tonnes of narcotics and confiscated nearly 30,000 firearms.

💸 Extortion crackdown yields 1,468 arrests: Security Minister Omar García Harfuch reported that nearly 1,500 alleged extortionists have been detained since the national anti-extortion strategy launched last July.

👏 Sheinbaum praises Security Cabinet: Closing the presser, the president publicly commended each member of her Security Cabinet by name, saying: “They are exceptional public servants who love Mexico and love their people.”

Why today’s mañanera matters

The federal government touted progress in combating insecurity at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Tuesday morning press conference. The president’s daily pressers give the government the opportunity to counter the narrative — peddled by opposition parties and others — that the security situation is worsening in Mexico.

Insecurity remains a major problem in parts of Mexico, but the Sheinbaum administration pointed out on Tuesday — as it frequently does — that the incidence of homicides and various other high-impact crimes is on the wane.

The government also used today’s mañanera as a platform to promote the success of its security strategy, which is based on four central tenets, including the strengthening of intelligence and investigative practices and a bolstering of the National Guard, the federal security force that was established in 2019. Supporting the federal security plan are initiatives such as the national strategy against extortion, presented by the government last July.

#InformeSeguridad I @Maffiguer, titular del @SESNSP, destaca la reducción en el promedio diario de los delitos de alto impacto a nivel nacional.

📉 Secuestro extorsivo: -32.1%

📉 Robo de vehículo con violencia: -23.4%

📉 Robo a transportista: -25.7%

📉 Total de robos con…

— Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (@SSPCMexico) June 16, 2026

Security Minister Omar García Harfuch reported on Tuesday that well over 1,000 alleged extortionists have been arrested since the strategy was implemented. That data point was one of various significant ones presented at today’s mañanera. Together they painted a picture of an improving security situation in Mexico, a country whose security problems have recently been in the spotlight of international media outlets as it is currently co-hosting the FIFA men’s World Cup with the United States and Canada.

Government touts decline in homicides in May

National Public Security System chief Marcela Figueroa presented preliminary data that showed there was an average of 47.3 homicides per day across Mexico in May.

She highlighted that the daily average in May was 46% lower than the average of 86.9 homicides per day in September 2024, the final month of Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency.

The decline compared to May 2025 was 27.6%.

Figueroa noted that the daily homicide rate in May was the lowest of any month since Sheinbaum took office in October 2024. She also highlighted that last month was the least violent May since 2015 in terms of homicides.

Homicides also down in first 5 months of 2026

Figueroa also presented data that showed there was an average of 50.4 homicides per day in the first five months of 2025. That figure represents a decline of 29.8% compared to the first five months of last year.

Data presented by Figueroa showed that the January-May period of 2026 was the least violent first five months of any year since 2015.

Guanajuato remains Mexico’s most violent state

Figueroa reported that 54% of all homicides in the first five months of 2026 occurred in eight states.

In the period, there were 7,587 homicides, according to the data presented.

Guanajuato was the most violent state between January and May, recording a total of 668 homicides. That figure represents 8.8% of all homicides in Mexico in the period. The Bajío region state has been Mexico’s most violent state in recent years. Various criminal groups operate in the state, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, which have been engaged in a bloody turf war for years.

After Guanajuato, Mexico’s most violent states between January and May were:

Baja California: 592 homicides (7.8% of the national total)

Chihuahua: 590 homicides (7.7%)

Sinaloa: 517 homicides (6.8%)

Morelos: 450 homicides (5.9%)

México state: 449 homicides (5.9%)

Guerrero: 418 homicides (5.5%)

Veracruz: 406 homicides (5.3%)

There was a total of 4,090 homicides between January and May in the eight most violent states, representing 54% of the national total, as mentioned by Figueroa.

The least violent state in the period was Yucatán, with just 12 homicides. Mexico City ranked as the 11th most violent entity between January and May, with 351 murders.

Homicides declined in 28 entities in first 5 months of 2026

Figueroa said that the federal government’s security strategy has led to a reduction in homicides “in almost the entire country.”

She presented data that showed that murders were down in annual terms between January and May in 28 of Mexico’s 32 federal entities.

Five states recorded annual reductions greater than 50% in the first five months of 2026.

San Luis Potosí: Homicides down by 81%.

Zacatecas: Homicides down by 63%.

Quintana Roo: Homicides down by 60.8%.

Nayarit: Homicides down by 55.4%

Guanajuato: Homicides down by 53.4%.

High-impact crimes also down in 2026

Figueroa presented data that showed that an average of 457.1 high-impact crimes were reported in the first months of the year. That figure represents a decline of 11.3% compared to 2025.

Among the offenses classified as high-impact crimes are homicide, kidnapping, rape, violent robbery and acts of extortion.

More than 56,000 arrests since Sheinbaum took office

After highlighting that a significant number of “priority targets” have been arrested since Sheinbaum took office in late 2024, García Harfuch presented data on drug lab dismantlements, arrests and seizures of drugs and firearms.

Between October 2024 and May 2026, authorities:

Dismantled 2,407 clandestine drug laboratories.

Detained 56,134 people who allegedly committed high-impact crimes.

Seized 419.3 tonnes of drugs.

Confiscated 29,572 firearms.

Almost 1,500 alleged extortionists detained since last July

García Harfuch reported that “within the framework of the national strategy against extortion,” 1,468 extortionists were arrested between July 6, 2025 and May 31, 2026. Arrests occurred in the majority of Mexico’s states.

“Combating this crime has been a priority for the president of Mexico and the institutions of the Security Cabinet in coordination with the 32 entities of the republic,” García Harfuch said.

Sheinbaum acknowledges the work of the federal Security Cabinet

Shortly before concluding her press conference, Sheinbaum told reporters she wanted to publicly acknowledge the work of the federal government’s Security Cabinet, whose members include García Harfuch, the defense, navy and interior ministers, and the head of the National Guard.

“My appreciation, my admiration of the work that the cabinet does,” she said.

Sheinbaum acknowledged and praised each of the six officials with her at today’s mañanera: Figueroa, García Harfuch, National Guard Commander Guillermo Briseño Lobera, Navy Minister Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, National Defense Minister Ricardo Trevilla Trejo and Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez.

“Look at the result — a 46% reduction in homicides,” the president said, referring to the comparison between September 2024 and May 2026.

“A reduction in all high-impact crimes. A reduction in homicides of 46%. In other words, there are practically half the homicides that there were in September 2024,” Sheinbaum said.

“… So, my applause, my recognition, my admiration [of the Security Cabinet]. They are exceptional public servants who love Mexico and love their people,” she said.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies ([email protected])