Omar García Harfuch, head of the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), and General Ricardo Trevilla, head of the Secretariat of National Defense, traveled to Guanajuato on March 25, 2025, to commence coordination discussions with the state government aimed at reducing violence in the region. "Following the instructions of President Claudia Sheinbaum, today General Secretary Trevilla and I are traveling to Guanajuato to hold working meetings with the governor and her team to continue the actions that will lead to a decrease in high-impact crimes in the area,” explained Harfuch.
Harfuch pointed out that homicides in Guanajuato have dropped by 45 percent after the arrest of José Francisco Contreras Gómez, known as Alfa 1. "Since the capture of José Francisco ‘N’, alias Alfa 1, we have witnessed a decrease in the daily average of homicides, which has plummeted from 12.7 to 7, representing a significant reduction of almost 45 percent,” Harfuch noted. "As a result of these arrests, Guanajuato has not ranked first in the number of homicides in the last six days."
Alfa 1 was detained the previous week in Querétaro and is implicated in leading the "Los Escorpiones" cell of the Gulf Cartel and is linked to the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL). He is also held responsible for the massacre at the Los Cantaritos bar, which occurred in Querétaro in November 2024, resulting in the deaths of ten people.
"Guanajuato reached its highest point of murders in the second week of March 2025, with an average of 15.6 killings per day,” Harfuch remarked. “However, since the arrest of Alfa 1, the number of homicides has decreased significantly." According to Harfuch, combating violence in the region necessitates detaining those responsible for these crimes. "To reduce crime rates, we must apprehend those who commit these offenses, and this is a clear demonstration of our ongoing efforts."
Following the positive reports on the impact of the recent arrests, the focus of today's meetings will include strategies for increasing operations, supervising security strategies, and determining how the federal government can assist the state. Harfuch elaborated that the Secretary of National Defense and he would examine ongoing operations to reinforce security in the region.
In addition, Harfuch emphasized the importance of working closely with state officials, including Guanajuato Governor Libia García Muñoz Ledo, to tackle the existing violent environment. "Our aim during today’s meetings is to trace a path forward that will not only consolidate our security efforts but also ensure that we can maintain the gains made over the last few days in reducing violent crime."
Guanajuato has traditionally struggled with high levels of violence, making these recent developments particularly significant. With ongoing collaboration between state and federal authorities, there is hope that this coordinated approach will yield lasting changes in safety and security for residents.
As of March 25, 2025, the initiatives spearheaded by Harfuch's office, in conjunction with the National Defense Secretariat, aim to dismantle remaining criminal factions and prevent resurgence by reinforcing operations across the state. This comprehensive effort seeks to maintain progress and continue decreasing crime rates overall.
During the last six months, the government reported a substantial decline in homicides nationwide, an overall 22.4% drop in intentional homicides from previous years. According to preliminary reports, the daily average of murders has decreased significantly, emphasizing that this decrease correlates with the strategic detainment of high-profile criminal leaders like Alfa 1.
The efforts to fortify security in Guanajuato represent a critical step in counteracting organized crime's hold over the area, a region long plagued by violence connected to drug cartels. Alex Marquez, a local analyst, mentioned, “The collaborative efforts being implemented by federal and state authorities have the potential to restore some semblance of normalcy to communities that have been affected by crime for far too long.”
García Harfuch expressed confidence that the current operations would not only lessen the immediate threat posed by organized crime but would also pave the way for longer-term solutions to the deep-rooted issues of violence in Guanajuato. The state's current trajectory appears promising, as the focus now shifts to maintaining growing public safety standards going forward.
