By Fausto Carbajal Glass, Partner, Miranda Delphi Solutions
President Sheinbaum’s establishment of the civilian-led National Operations Unit marks a strategic departure from AMLO’s militarized approach while maintaining pragmatic US cooperation. This shift exhibits some internal contradiction as the National Guard simultaneously expands its territorial coordination under military leadership. This hybrid approach reflects the administration’s delicate balancing act between institutional reform and operational continuity amid persistent security challenges. The US-Mexico security relationship demonstrates increasing pragmatism under external pressure, particularly Trump’s tariff threats. The bilateral interactions reveal Mexico’s strategic concessions (border deployments, extraditions, and airspace access) while maintaining emphasis on sovereignty. The crisis of disappearances (120,000 missing) and child recruitment by cartels represents the need for institutional reforms. Mexico’s response to UN observations highlights the government’s sensitivity these systemic human rights challenges.
Sheinbaum takes a new direction in the fight against insecurity in Mexico.
Six years after former President López Obrador dismantled Mexico’s Federal Police and militarized security operations, President Claudia Sheinbaum is changing course by rebuilding an elite civilian police force. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch is establishing the National Operations Unit (UNO), which aims to have 800 officers by year-end, primarily recruited from the former Federal Police and García Harfuch’s special operations team from his time as Mexico City’s Security Secretary. This shift abandons AMLO’s “Hugs, not bullets” approach that avoided direct confrontation with criminals. The new unit, operating under the Intelligence and Investigation Undersecretary with a separate budget and regional coordination centers, has already managed the transfer of 29 high-profile drug traffickers to the US. While the initiative represents Sheinbaum’s effort to reduce military control over security and repair US relations, experts warn that ensuring this force doesn’t repeat past abuses and corruption remains a significant challenge.
Vanguardia MX, 4/05/25, María Verza: Da Sheinbaum un giro de timón en el combate a la inseguridad en México.
Trump’s Secretary of Security states that “there is still much work to be done” after meeting with Sheinbaum.
Despite Mexico’s significant security efforts under President Claudia Sheinbaum—including deploying 10,000 National Guard agents to the US border, extraditing 29 drug lords, allowing increased US military presence in Mexican airspace, and making major fentanyl seizures—US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated “there is still much work to be done” following their meeting at the National Palace.
Noem, a key figure in Trump’s anti-immigration policy who previously visited El Salvador and Colombia, emphasized border security and stopping drug trafficking. Sheinbaum framed the meeting as “coordination” rather than subordination, maintaining that “sovereignty is non-negotiable” while describing it as “beneficial for both countries.” The encounter included top security officials from both nations and concluded with a memorandum of understanding between customs agencies.
El País, 3/28/25, Beatriz Guillén: La secretaria de Seguridad de Trump afirma tras reunirse con Sheinbaum que “todavía hay mucho trabajo por hacer”.
National Guard activates eight Territorial Coordination offices to strengthen security and operational control in Mexico.
Mexico’s National Guard has activated eight Territorial Coordination offices as part of a strategy to strengthen public security nationwide. These new structures will operate at the same command level as the Mexican Army’s existing Military Regions. According to a statement from the Ministry of National Defense, these Coordination offices aim to “manage the efforts carried out by State Coordinators” and improve command and control efficiency of security forces. Active Generals from the institution will lead these units, having been appointed through established institutional procedures. The creation of these units aligns with the second axis of the National Public Security Strategy, “Consolidation of the National Guard,” and is based on Articles 12 and 13 of the National Guard Law. Their primary functions include diagnosing security situations, generating strategic intelligence, planning tactical operations, developing contingency plans, supervising operational deployment, and monitoring ministerial and judicial mandates. The National Guard Commander will officially install the Territorial Coordinators at their respective headquarters between April 2-5.
La Razón, 4/04/25, Redacción: Guardia Nacional activa ocho Coordinaciones Territoriales para reforzar seguridad y control operativo en México.
Mexico and the United States strengthen collaboration on border security and economy.
The U.S. State Department reported on a call between Secretaries Marco Rubio and Juan Ramón de la Fuente, which addressed measures to protect the American automotive industry and strengthen security cooperation. On border security, both officials discussed initiatives to strengthen the shared border, dismantle cartels, and stop the flow of illegal drugs, firearms, and undocumented immigrants. According to a State Department spokesperson, “Secretary Rubio welcomed Mexico’s demonstrated commitment to achieving results, including deploying 10,000 National Guard troops to the common border, significant seizures of fentanyl and chemical precursors, transferring 29 high-value targets to U.S. custody for prosecution, and the recent capture and extradition of MS-13 leader Francisco Javier Román-Bardales”. Rubio thanked Mexico for coordinating efforts to reduce illegal immigration and continuing deportation flights. Meanwhile, the Mexican Foreign Ministry noted that Rubio pledged to intensify efforts to control illicit weapons trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico, while respecting sovereignty.
Excélsior, 4/01/25, Enrique Sánchez: México y Estados Unidos refuerzan colaboración en seguridad y economía fronteriza.
UNICEF urges Mexico to classify child recruitment by cartels as a criminal offense.
UNICEF has urgently called on the Mexican government to establish a legal framework that specifically criminalizes the recruitment of minors by organized crime groups. Fernando Carrera, UNICEF’s representative in Mexico, warned that without this legal classification, children and adolescents remain vulnerable to practices that severely violate their rights. He emphasized that the lack of clear legal provisions promotes the false perception that this phenomenon is merely a cultural reality rather than a criminal activity threatening children’s fundamental rights. Once recruited, minors are used in various capacities, from domestic tasks to surveillance, weapons transport, and even direct participation in violent acts. A study by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) estimates that between 35,000 and 460,000 minors have been exploited by organized crime. UNICEF stressed that these children should be recognized as victims, not criminals, and that criminal liability should fall on the adult recruiters.
El Imparcial, 4/05/25, Vanesa Rojas: Unicef exhortó a México que tipifique el reclutamiento infantil por el crimen organizado como un delito.
Mexico rejects the claim that disappearances are state policy.
Mexico’s government firmly rejected allegations that state-sponsored disappearances exist as official policy, responding to a UN committee’s claim that forced disappearances occur in a “widespread or systematic manner” throughout the country. In a joint statement released Saturday, Mexico’s Foreign Ministry and Interior Ministry declared: “The Mexican government does not consent to, permit, or order the disappearance of persons as state policy”, while affirming its commitment to combating this crime. The response followed remarks by Olivier de Frouville, President of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, who announced the committee had requested comprehensive information from Mexico on the issue. Mexico has pledged to address these information requests in accordance with its international obligations. This controversy emerges against the backdrop of over 120,000 missing persons in Mexico amid organized crime violence, highlighted recently when families discovered a suspected cartel training facility in Jalisco state containing incinerated bone fragments and clothing.
DW, 4/06/25, Redacción: México rechaza que desapariciones sean política de Estado.
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