By Fausto Carbajal Glass, Partner, Miranda Delphi Solutions
While the Senate approved President Sheinbaum’s 2024-2030 National Public Security Strategy without drawing much attention, Mexico faces severe security challenges evidenced by its third-place ranking in organized crime. The report highlights cartels’ territorial control, establishing parallel governance structures that replace state functions. Simultaneously, Mexico-US cooperation has shifted focus to combating fuel theft networks—now presumably organized crime’s second most lucrative activity—while Trump’s administration establishes a second military zone along the border, in order to reduce migration flows. Mexico’s security challenges extend into cyberspace, ranking among the top ten nations targeted by banking trojans, with over 51,000 incidents documented. Even water resources face security threats, as evidenced by the uncovering of a substantial water theft operation in Durango. These multilayered conundrums demonstrate Mexico’s complex security landscape, requiring comprehensive approaches beyond militarization to address deeply entrenched criminal ecosystems.
Senate approves the National Public Security Strategy 2024-2030.
The Mexican Senate has approved the National Public Security Strategy 2024-2030 presented by President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government, despite opposition. Following a private appearance by Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch, the document was submitted for debate and voting. PRI Senators criticized the strategy as divorced from reality, noting Mexico faces over 200,000 intentional homicides, nearly 60,000 disappearances, and more than 3,000 clandestine graves. They also condemned the militarization approach without judicial controls. Meanwhile, PAN Senators announced their support despite acknowledging the strategy’s shortcomings, particularly regarding highway violence and state/municipal funding. Movimiento Ciudadano also pledged not to obstruct the government’s security efforts, recognizing improvements over the previous administration’s approach with a more technical, methodological framework based on strategic objectives rather than ideological goals.
El Economista, 4/30/25, Rolando Ramos: Senado aprueba la Estrategia Nacional de Seguridad Pública 2024-2030.
Mexico ranks third worldwide in organized crime index, according to new World Bank report.
A new World Bank report places Mexico third worldwide in organized crime prevalence, behind only Myanmar and Colombia. This assessment comes from the “Organized Crime and Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean” study developed by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GITOC), which evaluated 193 countries. The analysis identifies four key elements characterizing criminal organizations in the region: territorial control, criminal governance, extortion, and state capture. In controlled territories, criminal groups establish their own rules, providing community services and replacing government functions, particularly security and justice. The report notes that Mexico’s violence intensified significantly following counter-narcotics operations between 2006-2009. During the COVID-19 pandemic, drug cartels gained legitimacy by providing social support in impoverished areas, effectively replacing the state. Currently, Mexico’s geography has been redrawn along cartel boundaries, with the Sinaloa Cartel dominating the northwest while the Jalisco New Generation Cartel expands throughout central and coastal regions, controlling not just drug trafficking but also extortion and migration routes.
Infobae, 4/30/25, Diego Mendoza López: México es tercer lugar mundial en índice de crimen organizado, según nuevo informe del Banco Mundial.
Combating fuel theft networks: the new shared objective between Mexico and the US.
Mexico and the United States have intensified efforts against “huachicol” —large-scale fuel smuggling operations that cost both nations billions in tax revenue annually. This bilateral security priority has now superseded concerns about migration and fentanyl in recent joint operations. In recent weeks, authorities from both countries have seized millions of liters of fuel, dozens of tanker trucks, and other assets in Texas, Tamaulipas, and Baja California. The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on smuggling networks linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), including operations run by “Primito” (César Morfín) and “Tanque” (Iván Cazarin Molina). The criminal operations typically involve siphoning crude oil from Pemex pipelines in Mexico, smuggling it to the US for refining, then returning it across the border labeled as low-value lubricants to evade taxation. According to US authorities, these fuel theft operations now represent organized crime’s second most profitable activity after drug trafficking.
El País, 5/02/25, Pablo Ferri: El combate a las redes del huachicol: el nuevo objetivo compartido entre México y EE.UU.
US Government designates a second stretch of the Mexico border as a military zone.
The US Government has established a second restricted military zone along the Mexican border to enforce immigration laws, as announced by the US Northern Command. According to the Department of Defense, the Pentagon will take control of a narrow strip of land extending over 100 kilometers, which will become part of Fort Bliss military base near El Paso, Texas. General Gregory Guillot, commander of US Northern Command, stated: “Establishing a second National Defense Area increases our operational reach and effectiveness in deterring illegal activity along the southern border”. Military personnel will have authority to detain migrants crossing irregularly until they can be transferred to civilian authorities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that entering this zone equates to trespassing on a military base. The Justice Department has already charged 28 migrants with security violations for crossing through this restricted area. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, border arrests have plummeted from 30,000 in February to 12,000 in December.
Sin Embargo, 5/02/25, Redacción: Gobierno de EU designa como zona militar un segundo tramo de la frontera con México.
Mexico ranks in the global top ten for cyberattacks.
According to Kaspersky’s 2024 Financial Cyberthreats Report, Mexico led Latin America in banking trojan attacks targeting computers, placing it among the world’s ten most affected nations. Researchers identified a significant spike in Grandoreiro malware activity early in the year, which employed fraudulent emails related to Mexico’s Digital Tax Receipts (CFDI). By year-end, a simplified version emerged targeting approximately 30 Mexican banks, using sophisticated techniques like mimicking mouse movements to evade machine learning-based anti-fraud systems. These combined variants resulted in over 51,000 incidents nationwide. Globally, mobile banking trojan attacks surged 3.6 times compared to 2023, affecting nearly 248,000 users. The Mamont malware family dominated mobile attacks, representing 36.7% of all incidents. According to Fabio Assolini, Kaspersky’s Latin America Research Director, although Mexico isn’t yet among the most affected by mobile banking trojans, proactive preparation is essential as these threats continue to evolve and exploit everyday digital habits, necessitating increasingly robust cybersecurity strategies.
La Silla Rota, 5/05/25, José Manuel Arteaga: México, en el top ten de ciberataques mundial.
Water theft discovered in residential sector.
Through a citizen complaint, municipal authorities in Durango discovered a significant water theft operation in a residential sector of the capital city. Mayor Bonifacio Herrera revealed that investigations identified the illegal extraction taking place in the 20 de Noviembre neighborhood. Officials determined that criminals were using a clandestine connection, inactive since 2004, to fill approximately three water tanker trucks daily—roughly 30,000 liters, enough to supply 100 households in the area. Herrera emphasized that combating unauthorized connections is a key component of the 2050 Water Plan, noting that responsible water usage is everyone’s responsibility. He acknowledged that this discovery was only possible thanks to citizen reporting. Rodolfo Corrujedo, director of Aguas del Municipio de Durango (AMD), explained that such illegal practices negatively impact water supply and pressure in neighboring properties where residents diligently pay for their service.
Excélsior, 4/29/25, Alma Gudiño: Descubren huachicoleo de agua en sector habitacional.
If you would like to talk to Fausto about our services in risk and security consulting, please email him at fausto.carbajal@miranda-partners.com
More information can be found at: https://miranda-partners.com/jvs-delphi-solutions/
Download PDF: MI-SecurityChatter-050725