In this infographic Mexico Institute Intern Tom谩s Andres Michael Carvallo provides data on changes in the Mexican military across three presidential administrations and gives context on the shifting security landscape.
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On March 14, 2022, in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, news spread that Juan Gerardo Trevi帽o, alias 鈥淓l Huevo", a local criminal leader, had been in a pre-dawn operation. Social media users uploaded a flurry of photos and videos of shootouts, fires, and cartel roadblocks across the city. Gunmen from El Huevo鈥檚 criminal group, the Cartel del Noroeste, attacked military and government installations for hours.
To quell the resulting violence, the Mexican government to Nuevo Laredo in the following days, a move emblematic of President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador鈥檚 security strategy.
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A harsh critic of the militarization of public security carried out by past administrations, President L贸pez Obrador ran on the to pull the military off the streets and send it to the barracks. However, deployments and military spending during the L贸pez Obrador administration are higher than ever before. The number of SEDENA soldiers currently deployed on security duty is 76% higher than during the presidency of Felipe Calder贸n, whom L贸pez Obrador blames for militarizing the drug war. As a result, defense spending has increased 87% between 2012, Calder贸n鈥檚 final year in office, and 2022.
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Despite the higher deployment figures, data shows that SEDENA soldiers play a more passive role. They are involved in fewer confrontations, seize less firearms, and perform to avoid criminals. L贸pez Obrador has also expanded their responsibilities, including vaccine distribution, and stemming irregular migration flows.
There is some cause for optimism, however. In 2021, when in other Latin American countries due to increasing poverty and pandemic policing gaps, the annual in Mexico to 35,625, a drop of 3.12% from the previous year. Some government polls indicate that Mexicans also feel that since its peak in 2018, but others that in recent months the opposite is true.
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While recent events such as the capture of kingpin Rafael Caro Quintero demonstrate the importance of the armed forces in protecting Mexico鈥檚 national security, others argue that AMLO鈥檚 strategy needs to be revised due to persistent high levels of insecurity. Nonetheless, if deployments continue to increase, the military could remain on Mexico鈥檚 streets for the foreseeable future.
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