Mexico's Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch revealed the history of bank account freezes conducted by the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) [1].
These financial interventions are critical to the state's strategy against organized crime. By freezing assets, the government aims to strip criminal organizations of the liquidity needed to fund operations and maintain their infrastructure.
Harfuch said the UIF actions are designed to affect the economic capacities and operational mechanisms of criminal groups [1]. The strategy focuses on weakening the financial foundations that allow these organizations to function across the country [2].
While the UIF continues these freezes, the legal framework surrounding the process has faced scrutiny. The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation issued a decision regarding the freezing of bank accounts by the UIF on April 6 [3]. This ruling addresses the legal parameters, and protections, involved when the state restricts access to financial assets.
Harfuch said the primary goal remains the degradation of criminal networks [1]. The government views the disruption of money flows as a primary tool for reducing the power of cartels and other illicit groups [2].
These measures are part of a broader effort to combine intelligence and financial oversight to combat insecurity. The UIF monitors suspicious transactions to identify the flow of illicit funds before they can be reinvested into criminal activity [1].
“The UIF actions are designed to affect the economic capacities and operational mechanisms of criminal groups.”
The focus on financial intelligence indicates a shift toward 'following the money' to dismantle criminal hierarchies. By prioritizing the freezing of assets, Mexico is attempting to move beyond tactical arrests to achieve strategic degradation of the economic engines that sustain organized crime.
