Juchitán de Zaragoza, located in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region of Oaxaca, is one of the most violent cities in the country and currently ranks fifth in the number of intentional homicides, surpassed only by Cajeme, Ciudad Obregón; Culiacán, Sinaloa; Irapuato, Guanajuato; and Cuernavaca, Morelos.
“It reached fifth place among the 88 most important cities in Mexico in homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants during January 2026,” acknowledged the state’s Attorney General, Bernardo Rodríguez Alamilla.
Furthermore, it ranks first in extortion and second in drug dealing, according to data from the Oaxaca Attorney General’s Office.
The documentation of the evolution of violence in Juchitán indicates that criminal groups have been identified as incorporating children and adolescents into roles ranging from acting as lookouts and messengers to using weapons, extortion, and contract killings.
The Second, Seventh, Eighth, Fourth, and First Sections, residential areas, have been identified as the highest-risk zones in this municipality in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, where targeted attacks and the presence of violent cells have been recorded.
It also indicates that the evolution of crime in the Isthmus has shifted from common offenses to a complex criminal organization that includes extortion and migrant smuggling.
“The criminal phenomenon in Juchitán presents a complexity that has required a focused intervention. According to the Security Roundtable’s assessment, this municipality ranks first in the state for intentional homicides and extortion, as well as second for drug dealing,” the report states.
Source: oaxaca.eluniversal
