President Claudia Sheinbaum and security officials said that thousands of people have been detained as part of a national security strategy.
These figures represent the administration's primary effort to dismantle organized crime and restore public order across Mexico. The discrepancy between different government reports suggests a complex accounting of the crackdown's success.
Secretary of Security Omar García Harfuch said that 56,000 people were detained between Oct. 1, 2024, and May 31, 2026 [4, 7]. During this same period, Harfuch said that authorities dismantled 2,000 clandestine meth labs [5] and secured 30,000 weapons [6].
Other reports from the administration provide lower figures for the security operations. One report said that more than 1,000 people were detained [1], and 100 criminal gangs were dismantled [2]. This report also cited the dismantling of 1,000 clandestine meth labs [3].
The administration has not clarified why the numbers vary so significantly between the report of 1,000 detainees [1] and the 56,000 detainees cited by Harfuch [4]. The figures remain the central metric for the government to demonstrate the effectiveness of its strategy against organized crime.
Security forces continue to target the infrastructure of drug trafficking. The seizure of 30,000 weapons [6] is intended to reduce the firepower of gangs, a key goal of the current administration's approach to public safety.
“56,000 people were detained between Oct. 1, 2024, and May 31, 2026”
The wide gap between the reported numbers—ranging from 1,000 to 56,000 detainees—indicates either a difference in reporting periods or a lack of unified data tracking within the Mexican security apparatus. While the high numbers suggest a massive scale of enforcement, the contradictory figures may lead to scrutiny regarding the actual impact of the Sheinbaum administration's security policies.
