Aguascalientes Expands Tech-Driven Security With SAGAZ Plan

Aguascalientes is expanding its technology-driven security strategy through the deployment of five Tech-Driven Security Gates integrated with the state's C5i command center. The state is also reinforcing regional coordination with Zacatecas under the new SAGAZ plan, combining real-time intelligence, interagency collaboration, and highway surveillance.

Aguascalientes is reinforcing its position as one of Mexico's safest states by combining advanced surveillance technology with regional security coordination, expanding a strategy that places intelligence, interoperability, and infrastructure at the center of public safety.

The latest step came on July 1, when the government of Aguascalientes joined authorities from Zacatecas and the Mexican Army to launch the Aguascalientes–Zacatecas Security (SAGAZ) Plan, a coordinated initiative designed to strengthen security operations along the highways and roads connecting both states. 

During the presentation of the initiative Tere Jiménez, Aguascalientes Governor, noted that the coordination between the three levels of government is fundamental to combine capabilities, act more effectively, and guarantee the protection of families and the country's stability.  

The strategy builds on Aguascalientes' broader security model, which has increasingly relied on technological capabilities to improve prevention, monitoring and response. Jiménez says that Aguascalientes will continue supporting initiatives aimed at preserving public safety while maintaining permanent collaboration with the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and state and local security agencies.

The regional agreement also highlights the role that technology has assumed within Aguascalientes' security architecture, particularly through the deployment of five Security Gates positioned at the state's main access points. These facilities, located in Cosío, the southern entrance to the state capital, Calvillo, El Llano, and Asientos, operate as permanent monitoring points for vehicle and pedestrian traffic entering and leaving the state.

Each installation incorporates automatic license plate recognition, facial recognition systems. and direct connectivity with the state's Command, Control, Communication, Computing, Coordination, and Intelligence Center (C5i). The integrated platform allows authorities to compare information against databases in real time, identifying vehicles reported stolen as well as individuals with outstanding warrants or active search records.

Real-Time Intelligence Strengthen Border Security

According to the state government, the Security Gates have become a strategic component of Aguascalientes' territorial protection strategy by providing continuous monitoring supported by the State Ministry of Public Security, the National Guard, and the Mexican Army.

Authorities report that the infrastructure has already contributed to the recovery of stolen vehicles, the arrest of individuals subject to judicial orders, and the inspection of thousands of vehicles that cross the state's access corridors each day. The integration of surveillance technologies with the C5i also enables faster operational coordination between security institutions, allowing authorities to detect potential threats, and deploy resources more efficiently.

During the presentation of the SAGAZ plan, Jiménez highlighted these capabilities as one of the pillars supporting Aguascalientes' permanent security strategy. She says the Security Gates combine video surveillance cameras, AI, and vehicle identification technologies while operating alongside the C5i, which has received national recognition for its operational effectiveness and the use of advanced technological tools.

Regional Coordination Expands the Security Model

While the Security Gates focus on monitoring access into Aguascalientes, the SAGAZ plan extends the state's security approach across regional transportation corridors.

Developed by the Mexican Army in coordination with police forces from Aguascalientes and Zacatecas, the initiative prioritizes highway security through joint operations intended to improve mobility and reduce criminal activity along one of the region's most important logistical routes.

The model reflects a broader emphasis on interoperability between federal, state, and military institutions, combining intelligence sharing with coordinated operational deployments. Jiménez also recognized the participation of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and security agencies from all levels of government, saying their collaboration remains essential to maintaining public order and protecting citizens.

The launch of SAGAZ follows several years of investment under the Blindaje Aguascalientes security strategy introduced in August 2023. At the time, Manuel Alonso García, Minister of Public Security for the State of Aguascalientes, presented the initiative to the state's industrial sector, describing it as a comprehensive plan designed to strengthen public safety while preserving Aguascalientes as a competitive destination to live, visit, and invest.

The strategy combined technological modernization with institutional reforms, including salary standardization for municipal police officers, the creation of specialized highway, metropolitan and women's police units, expanded cybersecurity capabilities, and the development of the state's Police University. The plan strengthened video surveillance processes through the more than 3,000 cameras connected to the C5i while introducing technological infrastructure at the state's entry points, laying the foundation for today's Security Gates.

The addition of the SAGAZ plan expands that framework by extending cooperation beyond state boundaries, reflecting a security model that increasingly combines technology, integrated command centers, and intergovernmental coordination to address regional challenges while supporting long-term economic stability.