In July 2025, five police officers from Maravatío, Michoacán, were arrested for their alleged involvement in the enforced disappearance of three people, the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) reported.
According to the agency, the events occurred on December 28, 2024, when three people who had been detained two days earlier were legally released by the public prosecutor’s office, which determined there was insufficient evidence to maintain their detention for alleged drug-related offenses.
Once free, the five officers, active members of the Civil Guard and the municipal Public Security force, illegally detained the three men, handcuffed them, and took them “without legal justification” to the municipal police station “under the pretext of collecting belongings,” the Attorney General’s Office stated.
Then, in the vicinity of the location “and without any resistance from on-duty personnel,” a group of armed civilians arrived in a private vehicle and abducted the three victims. This was witnessed by their families, and their whereabouts have been unknown ever since.
Following the judicial reform, Mexico is undergoing a profound process of change as a result of the reform of the judiciary. In this context, the reform has been controversial, not only because these changes could affect the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, but also because the discussion has focused on the final stage of the justice system, leaving out key elements such as the police and public prosecutors.
“These institutions constitute the first point of contact for victims when reporting a crime and, at the same time, have historically faced a widespread perception of corruption, inefficiency, and distrust from the public,” stated Monserrat López Pérez, data analyst for the organization Impunity Zero.
Since 2021, the survey indicated that approximately eight out of ten people interviewed believe that impunity has either increased or remained the same over the past year. In 2024 alone, 43% stated that the level of impunity had remained the same, 40% responded that it was increasing, and only 14% believed it had decreased.
“These perceptions reflect the reality of the country. For more than a decade, Mexico has registered high crime rates, low institutional effectiveness, and a high number of unreported crimes,” the survey stated.
Source: animalpolitico
