Mexico extortion trends and security strategy under Sheinbaum, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico): The public policy think tank México Evalúa says the security strategy of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government has not reduced the incidence of extortion in Mexico, a crime that now threatens productive and economic centers of major importance to the country. The organization acknowledges that intentional homicides are declining, but argues that violence has transformed into extortion.
In a 36-page report, México Evalúa analyzes data from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP) covering 2015 to 2026. The report examines five strategic economic regions and compares these figures with data from the National Strategy Against Extortion (ENCE).
México Evalúa concludes that extortion has stabilized but at a high level, stating: “There are 65% more extortion victims per inhabitant as of September 2026 than for the same period in 2015, and the figure has not declined significantly since 2022.” The think tank adds: “Homicide has fallen in recent years, but extortion has not. There may be fewer murders and, at the same time, more households, businesses and companies forced to pay criminals in order to work.”
According to the report, extortion is concentrated in productive corridors. The Center, the Bajío–West and the North, which together hold 69% of the population, account for 85% of victims.
These are the regions of export manufacturing, the automotive industry and the largest consumer market.
The report also notes that states such as Querétaro, Baja California Sur and Yucatán have historically high levels of extortion alongside very low rates of intentional homicide. México Evalúa acknowledges underreporting in some regions, which reduces the consistency of its analysis.
México Evalúa argues that extortion has not declined but has shifted location. It reports that in the eight priority states of the National Strategy Against Extortion, victims fell 13%, while in the rest of the country they rose 30%.
The report states that six of the nine states with the highest extortion per inhabitant are outside that priority list, including Morelos, Zacatecas, Colima, Querétaro, Baja California Sur and Tabasco. It adds that Morelos, Querétaro and Colima record their highest levels since 2015.
The think tank questions whether the decline in some areas reflects displacement of the crime or underreporting and registration failures, leaving open whether both phenomena are occurring at once.
