National Guard to Deploy During Election/Registry Fight

Protection of election candidates. Luis Rodríguez Bucio, the National Guard commander, announced that troops would be protecting candidates in the June 6 legislative elections who requested it. "We have the personnel from the National Guard promoting protective services to candidates for elected positions this year," Rodríguez said. The move comes after more than 110 candidates faced attacks or threats.

Homicides and femicides. Minister of Security and Citizen Protection Rosa Icela Rodríguez said that the incidence rate in nine of 11 crimes under federal jurisdiction fell in 1Q21 compared to the prior year period. “There were 4.6 percent fewer intentional homicides compared to the same period in the previous year. It was also possible to contain the incidence of femicide, a crime that fell 2.4 percent," Icela said. In the first quarter of 2021, malicious homicides and femicides decreased compared to the same period last year.

Telephone registry. Deputy Minister of Security Ricardo Mejía said that the government is already getting ready to fight the court’s suspension of the initiative to initiate of registry of cellphones that had come under fire from telephone companies. Mejía said that the initiative is relevant because it seeks to "prevent organized crime from benefiting from the anonymity of prepaid mobile telephony, and from committing kidnappings, extortion or human trafficking."

Drug cartel drones. Minister of National Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval affirmed that the cartels of Jalisco, Guanajuato and Michoacan are now using drones to attack government security forces.

Border surveillance. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that the government would reinforce the surveillance and security of the country's southern border to be ready for the arrival of migrants. López Obrador held a meeting with the governors of Tabasco and Chiapas to reach the decision.

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Click HERE for full transcript in Spanish