Mexico extortion victim rate rises 65 percent despite federal strategy, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico City, Mexico): The rate of extortion victims in Mexico increased 65% between 2015 and 2026, and the federal strategy has not contained the territorial expansion of the crime, according to a report from México Evalúa.
Between January and September of this year, 8,551 victims were recorded, equivalent to 6.36 per 100,000 inhabitants. Although homicides have declined, extortion has remained at elevated levels since 2022, the study notes.
The organization points to uneven results from the National Strategy Against Extortion, presented in July 2025. Victims fell 13% in the eight priority states between 2025 and 2026, while in the rest of the country they rose 30%.
Six of the nine states with the highest rates were excluded from federal priorities: Morelos, Zacatecas, Colima, Querétaro, Baja California Sur and Tabasco.
Morelos recorded 28.2 victims per 100,000 inhabitants, more than four times the national average, and its rate nearly doubled in one year. In Querétaro, the increase in the crime was close to 80%.
In Sinaloa, victims rose from 74 to 141 between January and September of 2025 and the same period of 2026, while homicides fell 24%. The organization argues that fewer killings do not necessarily mean criminal organizations have less power.
The Center, Bajío-West and North regions account for 85% of victims, although they hold 69% of the population. Just 42 municipalities account for half of the recorded cases.
The report also highlights that 97.5% of extortions committed in 2025 were either not reported or did not result in an investigation file, according to the Envipe 2026 survey.
México Evalúa warns that fees imposed on merchants, producers and transporters raise costs and may be passed on to consumers in the prices they pay.
