Overview
- Mexico received a criminality score of 7.68 in the Global Organized Crime Index 2025, placing it behind Myanmar (8.08) and Colombia (7.82).
- A companion ranking on criminal markets lists Mexico first globally, reflecting cartel professionalization and financial diversification.
- The index weighs drug and human trafficking, arms flows, corruption, territorial control and state capacity rather than relying on homicide counts.
- President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration cites a downward homicide trend, while a security expert argues cartels are unlikely to sabotage the 2026 World Cup.
- Defense ministry data show 60,336 weapons and 685 improvised armored vehicles seized from 2018 through September 2025, with fentanyl and U.S.-sourced guns highlighted as key drivers.