Mexico: Federal forces take over policing in Acapulco

Event

The military and federal police troops have taken over policing duties in the coastal city of Acapulco (Guerrero state) following an increase in violent crime. All 700 local police agents have been disarmed as investigations are conducted regarding suspicions that the force has been infiltrated by criminal groups involved in trafficking drugs. It is unclear how long the investigation will last.

Context

According to 2017 statistics, Acapulco had a murder rate of 106 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the highest in the world. According to official statistics, more than 25,000 murders were reported in all of Mexico in 2017, shattering previous records (20.5 homicides for 100,000 residents), and rates continued to rise in the first half of 2018. The spike in violence has been attributed in large part to fierce turf wars between competing and increasingly fragmented cartels.

Advice

A number of foreign governments advise against all travel to Acapulco and the surrounding state of Guerrero, including the US and France.