Seventeen days after its launch, Mexico’s National Anti-Extortion Strategy has led to the arrest of 40 individuals across six states, according to Omar García Harfuch, head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), during the morning press conference led by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo.
The arrests were made in Guerrero, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Puebla, State of Mexico, and Tabasco, as a result of coordinated efforts between federal authorities, state prosecutors, and local police. Anonymous tips through the 089 hotline played a key role—particularly in Michoacán, where nine arrests were made thanks to citizen reports.
García Harfuch explained that the strategy is built around five pillars: the use of the 089 hotline; immediate deactivation of phone lines used for extortion; opening of investigations by state prosecutors; deployment of intelligence units; and specialized investigations by anti-kidnapping and anti-extortion divisions.
In parallel, the SSPC reported that over the last 15 days, 784 individuals were arrested for high-impact crimes. Authorities seized 400 firearms and more than eight tons of drugs, and dismantled 28 clandestine drug labs. Since President Sheinbaum took office, more than 26,000 arrests have been made for such crimes, and over 1,000 illegal labs have been dismantled.
The government also announced the creation of the National Security Academy, whose first class will begin training in August. Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez added that as part of the «Addressing Root Causes» strategy, more than 145,000 house-to-house visits have been conducted, with over 2.3 million service requests received. Through the «Yes to Disarmament, Yes to Peace» program, nearly 5,000 weapons have been exchanged for educational incentives.
