Mexican officials said their recent crackdown on crime resulted in almost 7,000 arrests, the seizure of 61 tons of drugs, the dismantling of 69 clandestine drug labs, and the confiscation of thousands of weapons.
Omar García Harfuch, Mexico’s minister of security, said these actions were part of a broader effort to reduce crime and address the root causes of violence nationwide.
However, Cecilia Farfán, a researcher at the Institute of Global Conflict and Cooperation at UC San Diego, argued that seizing drugs alone was not necessarily effective in curbing violence.
“What this is doing is sending a message to the U.S.," she said, "and one that particularly appeals to those that want a hardline approach to drugs.”
Farfán also argued that arresting high-level figures alone was insufficient. For two decades, she said the kingpin strategy wasn’t the most effective tool for reducing violence. Criminal groups adapt, and without broader measures, violence escalates.
Farfán pointed to recent surges in violence in Sinaloa following arrests: “What we’re seeing is a rise in violence without a clear endgame.”
Financial networks often remain intact, and the effectiveness of these efforts depends on Mexico's judicial system, now undergoing a major reform with judges being elected by popular vote.
