For the second consecutive month, the state of Veracruz remained in eighth place among the states with the highest number of intentional homicides during the first six months of 2026, according to Marcela Figueroa Franco, head of the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNP).
The crime incidence report for January through June 2026 was presented this Tuesday, July 14, during President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo’s morning press conference. Although a slight reduction in the daily average of intentional homicides in Veracruz was noted, the state continues to rank among those with the highest number of such crimes nationwide.
According to Figueroa Franco, Veracruz recorded 447 intentional homicides between January and June 2026, representing 5.0 percent of the national total for this crime. Ranking above Veracruz is Guanajuato with 789 cases, accounting for 8.8 percent of the total.
Other states include Baja California with 8.1 percent of cases (731 so far); Chihuahua with 7.8 percent (704 homicides); Sinaloa with 7 percent (633 homicides); the State of Mexico with 5.9 percent (533 cases); and Morelos with 5.5 percent of the total (498 homicides).
These eight states account for a total of 4,835 intentional homicides so far in 2026, representing 54 percent of all cases nationwide.
This marks the second consecutive month that Veracruz has ranked as the state with the eighth-highest number of intentional homicides in Mexico. In the April report, Figueroa Franco also highlighted that Veracruz—along with seven other states—accounted for more than 50 percent of these crimes. During this period (January to May 2026), there were 406 intentional homicides in Veracruz; this means that by June, the figure had risen by 41 cases in a single month.
Downward trend in homicides nationwide
The head of the Executive Secretariat presented figures and comparative data on crime rates in the country since October 1, 2024—the date Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo assumed the presidency of Mexico. In this regard, she highlighted a downward trend in the daily average of intentional homicides between September 2024 and July 2026.
From September 2024 to the present, the daily average of crimes in the country has decreased by 48 percent.
She also noted that this same downward trend is evident when comparing the month of June over the years since 2015, when the daily average of intentional homicides was 48.9 cases, compared to the current average of 45.4.
The period from January to June 2026 marked the lowest first-half average since 2016, with an average of 49.7 intentional homicides.
Source: lasillarota
