Mexico’s security crisis has reached a critical juncture, exposing the deep fractures within its institutions. Despite government claims of progress, violence and impunity continue to define daily life for millions. Organised crime operates with near-total control in many regions, while law enforcement remains underfunded, understaffed, and, in many cases, infiltrated by criminal networks. Homicide rates remain among the highest in the world, and the alarming rise in forced disappearances has only deepened public distrust in the state. Decades of failed security strategies, corruption, and political negligence have allowed violence to become ingrained in the fabric of Mexican society. Rather than implementing comprehensive reforms, successive administrations have resorted to militarisation, superficial policy shifts, and deflecting blame. The result is a nation where justice is elusive, institutions are paralysed, and the victims—both those murdered and those who have vanished—continue to grow in number.
Systematic failures have long crippled Mexico’s democratic and security efforts. For decades, the country has struggled to build a judicial system that upholds the rule of law, while law enforcement—often infiltrated by organised crime—has failed to combat escalating violence. The prioritisation of political interests over long-term institutional reform has enabled impunity to thrive, eroding public trust.
The recent discovery of a mass grave at Rancho Izaguirre in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, is yet another chilling reminder of this crisis. Burnt clothing, backpacks, and human remains point to the brutality of organised crime. The site is believed to have been operated by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, a dominant criminal organisation known for its extreme violence. Reports suggest the camp was used for torture, body disposal, and training recruits. Despite the existence of laws against homicide and organised crime, the lack of proper forensic procedures and political will has ensured that justice remains elusive.
The state’s inability to preserve evidence, conduct thorough investigations, and prioritise forensic work is deeply concerning. Structural deficiencies in Mexico’s justice system mean that the burden of uncovering the truth often falls on the families of the disappeared. While search groups like the Searching Warriors of Jalisco continue their work, they do so at great personal risk, filling the void left by an indifferent state. Until authorities address these fundamental failures, justice will remain a distant hope for the families of the disappeared.
Public outrage over these atrocities has been met with government deflection. Rather than acknowledging the severity of the crisis, officials have dismissed criticism as a political attack. President Claudia Sheinbaum echoed her predecessor’s rhetoric, framing public demands for justice as opposition-fuelled hysteria. Instead of taking responsibility, the government manipulates language to shift blame, using the term “opposition” to discredit legitimate grievances.
A fitting analogy is a dam on the verge of collapse: for years, the government has built barriers to contain public discontent, but the cracks in its foundations are widening under the weight of injustice and impunity. Just as water finds its way through even the smallest fractures, the voices of the people—families of the disappeared, human rights defenders, and civil society—are breaking through the state’s efforts to suppress them. The more authorities refuse to address the root causes of violence, the greater the force of public outcry, threatening to overwhelm a system that can no longer hold back the truth.
Mexico’s crisis of enforced disappearances has intensified. Over 125,000 people are officially reported missing, with many more cases likely unaccounted for. Some regions have become epicentres of this crisis, where criminal groups operate with impunity, and state complicity is widely suspected. Notably, states like Guerrero, Jalisco, Veracruz, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas have seen the most severe incidents of violence and disappearances. These regions exemplify the deep ties between organised crime and the state’s inability to safeguard the safety and rights of its people. Mothers of the disappeared, who lead many of these search efforts, face immense dangers. Despite government promises, affected families remain distrustful due to a consistent lack of results. Instead of supporting search groups, authorities have often sought to discredit or obstruct them, reinforcing the perception that the state is unwilling—or unable—to provide justice.
For families like the one of Irma González, whose son vanished in 2021, the discovery at Rancho Izaguirre is both a moment of despair and painful clarity. She recognised her son’s backpack among the recovered items and travelled to Jalisco in search of answers. Hundreds of other families did the same, hoping to find traces of their missing loved ones. Yet the trauma of unearthing human remains without definitive identification continues to haunt them, prolonging their suffering.
Human rights defenders have been crucial in exposing the extent of these crimes, linking disappearances to both organised crime and corrupt officials. Despite overwhelming evidence, impunity remains the norm. While the United Nations and local organisations provide support, families continue to struggle against a system designed to suppress rather than uncover the truth.
The crisis worsened under Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency, with 54,000 disappearances recorded in six years—215% more than the previous administration. His government’s promises to address the crisis amounted to little more than empty rhetoric. The discovery of an extermination camp in Jalisco only deepened concerns over the state’s failure to curb cartel violence. Compounding the problem, authorities have obstructed investigations and manipulated data, further fuelling public distrust.
Under Claudia Sheinbaum, the situation has deteriorated further. In the first five months of her presidency alone, 6,700 disappearances were recorded—a staggering 92.44% increase compared to the same period under López Obrador. With an average of 41.5 disappearances per day, Mexico’s security policies have demonstrably failed. While the ruling party continues to stage public events, thousands of families are left searching for answers, trapped in an endless cycle of grief and uncertainty.
Intentional homicides remain another stark indicator of the crisis. Mexico recorded approximately 34,690 homicide deaths in 2019, followed by 36,773 in 2020, 33,410 in 2021, 31,936 in 2022, 29,675 in 2023, and 26,715 in 2024. The six-year total stands at nearly 193,199 deaths—a grim testament to the country’s inability to curb violence. While recent figures suggest a slight decrease, Mexico remains one of the most violent nations in the region. Organised crime continues to flourish, unchecked by an overwhelmed and often complicit state.
The scale of Mexico’s crisis can be understood through a chilling comparison: approximately 322,000 people have been either murdered or disappeared, a figure equivalent to the entire population of cities like Münster, Rouen, Malmö, or Bratislava. In the UK, it mirrors the populations of Leicester, Nottingham, Coventry, or Newcastle. This means that, in human terms, Mexico has suffered losses comparable to an entire European city vanishing from the map. More disturbingly, this number is equivalent to nearly half the population of Luxembourg. These comparisons illustrate not just the scale of the tragedy but the catastrophic failure of the Mexican state to protect its people.
This crisis is no longer one that can be hidden behind political spin or manipulated statistics. With over 120,000 people missing, the situation reflects a total collapse of state responsibility. The Rancho Izaguirre discovery is not an isolated incident but part of a wider pattern of neglect, incompetence, and complicity. Years of failed investigations, obstruction of justice, and impunity have fuelled a climate of despair.
Mexico stands at a crossroads: either the government takes decisive action to combat impunity, protect human rights, and hold perpetrators accountable, or the country continues its descent into a lawless state where the disappeared become mere statistics. The graves that continue to be unearthed are not just evidence of past crimes; they are an ominous sign of what is yet to come if silence, inaction, and impunity prevail.
