With concrete and measurable data, García Harfuch highlights the successes of the security strategy

Andrea Becerril and Néstor Jiménez

La Jornada Newspaper
Thursday, October 23, 2025, p. 5

The head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), Omar García Harfuch, defended in the Senate, “with concrete and measurable data,” he assured, the results of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s strategy, to “guarantee peace, justice and tranquility in the country.”

When appearing for the gloss on the president’s first Report, she highlighted that in one year of government, the daily average of intentional homicides throughout the territory was reduced by 32 percent, which means 27 fewer crimes each day; 35 thousand criminals responsible for high-impact crimes were arrested; record seizures of drugs were achieved, and 98 million liters of fuel were seized, in the context of the fight against the so-called huachicol prosecutor, a crime in which “the ultimate consequences” will be reached, he stressed.

Supported by the majority group of the 4T, amid constant applause during his interventions, García Harfuch responded to senators from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and National Action (PAN) who insisted that “criminal violence has not disappeared,” and the reality does not correspond to the perceptions of the federal government.

He argued that the security problem is not resolved, but there is progress and the figures he presented, he stressed, “are reliable, since they come from federal entities verified by the federal government.”

In his first intervention, García Harfuch pointed out that the security strategy “is moving on the right path,” and mentioned that in January 2018, an average of 969 daily crimes were recorded, while so far this year 524 have been documented, a decrease of 47 percent.

He stressed that security cannot be politicized, which is why the federal cabinet works in coordination with the governors and prosecutors of all entities of the Republic. “We are not based on parties, but on the incidence of crime.”

This collaboration has allowed, he declared, the daily average of intentional homicides to decrease in 23 states during the recent year.

He gave Guanajuato as an example, where based on several arrests, specifically of Francisco “N”, alias Alpha Oneleader of a cell of the Gulf cartel and various simultaneous operations in that state and those of Querétaro and Yucatán, since March 18, a significant decrease in the number of daily intentional homicides began to be recorded, which fell by 61 percent.

He explained that in the case of Sinaloa the operations continue to be strengthened and this Thursday the entire security cabinet will move to that state, where the state police have been strengthened, which managed to arrest six “leaders who provoke violence.”

Given the insistence of opposition legislators and the senator of the Green Ecologist Party of Mexico (PVEM) Luis Armando Melgar, on the change in strategy that, in his opinion, has occurred in relation to the one that prevailed in the last six-year term, the official stressed that “there is continuity because the most important axis persists, that of attention to the causes that generate violence, which was initiated by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Opponents insisted on the case of huachicol prosecutor and the official responded that in the fight against theft and smuggling of hydrocarbons, the policy is zero impunity and zero tolerance of corruption.”

He stated, in this sense, that in addition to the 98 million liters of hydrocarbons seized in 26 entities in the country, nearly 2 thousand clandestine taps were eliminated.

When the large fuel seizures were made, he said, “they asked when the arrests were going to be made” and these came months later, with solid investigation folders and arrests of public servants and businessmen. More than a commitment, it is our duty to reach its ultimate consequences.”

The head of the SCPC also explained that he is carrying out an evaluation of risks and possible threats that could arise next year, during the Soccer World Cup, to be held partially in Mexico.

Through the so-called Kukulkan Planthe security cabinet aims to guarantee the well-being of visitors and the prevention of crimes such as sexual tourism.

García Harfuch was applauded at the conclusion of his appearance.

The senators from Morena, PT and PVEM went up to the podium to take photographs with him and accompanied him to the exit.

The official took more than 15 minutes to leave the premises between hugs from the 4T legislators and even from opponents, such as the coordinator of the PRI, Manuel Añorve, who came up to greet him.