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-Editorial
The Government of Mexico unveiled a comprehensive National Strategy Against Extortion aimed at preventing and combating one of the country’s most pervasive criminal threats. The initiative was presented by Security and Citizen Protection Secretary Omar García Harfuch, acting under the direction of President Claudia Sheinbaum.
The strategy focuses on five key pillars: making arrests through intelligence and investigative efforts; promoting the creation of local Anti-Extortion Units; applying a standardized protocol for victim assistance; training 089 hotline operators in crisis management and negotiation; and launching a nationwide prevention campaign.
In a press conference, García Harfuch emphasized the urgency of addressing extortion to protect the livelihoods of working families across Mexico, particularly those running businesses, farming, transporting goods, or providing services.
Senior members of Mexico’s Security Cabinet joined García Harfuch during the announcement, including Defense Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, Navy Secretary Raymundo Pedro Morales, Attorney General Alejandro Gertz Manero, and National Guard Commander Hernán Cortés Hernández.
The strategy is backed by the newly enacted National Investigation and Intelligence System Law, which enhances the government’s ability to dismantle criminal networks and target key perpetrators of violence.
Authorities identified eight states, the State of Mexico, Guanajuato, Nuevo León, Mexico City, Veracruz, Jalisco, Guerrero, and Michoacán—as priority areas, accounting for 66% of extortion cases nationally. Specialized teams will be deployed in these regions.
The strategy also involves the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Ministry of Finance to freeze accounts used for extortion payments and obtain court orders to block phone lines linked to criminal activities. Surprise operations will also be conducted in prisons to seize phones used to orchestrate extortion schemes.
The 089 emergency number will serve as the national line for reporting extortion, staffed by trained personnel and offering anonymous reporting to protect victims’ identities. These reports will support the development of criminal cases and help authorities track and apprehend suspects.
Additional training will be provided to convenience store clerks and bank staff to prevent deposits to extortionists, as well as to hotel receptionists to identify potential virtual kidnapping scenarios. Educational materials and a national media campaign will also be deployed to help the public recognize and avoid extortion threats.
García Harfuch shared several recent law enforcement successes, including arrests in Michoacán, Mexico City, and Jalisco, where suspects were found responsible for extortion, homicide, and other serious crimes tied to organized crime.
He highlighted the role of citizen reports in these operations, supported by the National Public Safety Observatory, which has processed over 60 reports of kidnapping and extortion since March.
The federal government reaffirmed its commitment to work in coordination with local authorities and civil society to protect working families and build lasting peace across the country.