Mexico’s 12 most dangerous cities by number of murders per capita

The nation of Mexico is home to 130 million people in 31 states (Mexico City is a separate entity but not a state, similar to Washington, DC in the United States). Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, Mexican cities are often the scene of violent crime, including murder. Here we will describe in detail The most dangerous cities in Mexico and provide some information about their history.

Over the past 20 years, the Mexican economy has tended to decline while organized crime has expanded, supplying illicit drugs to the United States and other foreign markets, leading to group violence and other violent crimes. Drug cartels tend to operate in cities where they can establish drug trafficking routes, such as port cities along the coast and border cities adjacent to the United States.

During the study we used a national heat map created by Mexican data scientist Diego Valle-Jones, which details the homicide rate of individual cities based on statistics collected from the Mexican justice system over the past twelve months.

We then filtered this data to only sample local populations greater than 100,000, as cities with a small sample size over a short time period can create statistical outliers.

1. Manzanillo, Colima (134)

Manzanillo is one of the busiest seaports in Mexico as well as a hub for domestic air traffic, making it a likely destination for trafficking through local drug markets as well as overseas. This area is often called the most dangerous city in Mexico, as well as one of the the most dangerous cities in the world.

The current homicide rate is 134 for a population of only about 200,000. Manzanillo used to be known as a tourist destination for its beaches and accessibility, but recently foreign governments warned travelers against visiting Colima State because of the brutal violence in the region.

2. San Luis, Sonora (128.5)

San Luis lies south of Yuma, Arizona, separated by the Colorado River. Its proximity to a nearby US city makes it a major base of operations for local criminal enterprises.

The violent crime rate is currently 128.5 with a population of 209,000, which is about the same as Manzanillo.

3. Apacingan, Michoacán (128.3)

Unlike many dangerous cities in Mexico, Apatsingan located inland away from the sea or northern border. The city has important historical significance, as in 1814 Mexico’s independence from Spain was officially declared.

unfortunately, Apatsingan today is the center of competing drug cartels and the region’s main producer of methamphetamine. The current homicide rate is 128.3 per 129,000 residents.

4. Temisco, Morelos (115)

Temixco is a local manufacturing hub with 126,000 employees and was once home to an internment camp for Japanese immigrants during World War II. The city is also close to historical sites, including the architecture of local indigenous tribes.

It has also become a hotbed of drug-related violence, with 115 murders per 100,000 residents.

5. Villa de Alvarez, Colima (114)

Villa de Alvarez neighbors the capital Kolyma (listed below) and faces many of the same drug gang problems as its sister city. This municipality is one of the most dangerous areas in the region, with a homicide rate of 114 per 158,000 population.

The local economy is mainly focused on growing and transporting fruit.

6. Cuatla, Morelos (113.1)

Cuatla, Morelos, was a significant place during The Mexican Revolution of the 1910sbecause many battles were fought in the surrounding region between Emiliano Zapata’s forces and the federal army. Zapata’s body was also buried in the city after his assassination in 1919.

A hundred years later, Cuatla was once again a place of violence, with a homicide rate of 113.1 per 192,000 population.

7. Jautepec de Zaragoza, Morelos (97.2)

In historical times it is former city of the Aztecs was a common point of travel of Catholic missionaries. Yautepec also has one of the mildest climates in Mexico, so it often hosts local festivals and is a popular swimming destination.

Like much else in Morelos, there is also, unfortunately, crime. The violence rate is 97.2 with a population of 108,000.

8. Tecate, Baja California (95.2)

Like Tijuana, running away is a popular entry point into Mexico from California, home to a variety of industries including textiles, metals and plastics. As you might have guessed, Tecate beer is also brewed here.

Like other major border cities, this city has problems with drug trafficking and violent crime. The current population is 112,000 with a homicide rate of 95.2.

9. Zamora, Michoacan (91.6)

Zamora is a popular stop for both tourists and religious locals, as there are many surviving Catholic architectural structures from the colonial period. Its economy is mainly centered around agriculture and cattle ranching, but its location between major Mexican cities such as Morelia and Guadalajara also makes it a frequently visited site gang violence, with a homicide rate of 91.6 per 108,000 population.

10. Tijuana, Baja California (80.8)

Tijuana is the second most populous region of Mexico after Mexico City, with just over 2 million inhabitants. Its location near the border has also made it consistently one of the most violent cities in the country, with a homicide rate of 80.8.

However, jobs in industries such as the auto industry are driving people to flock to Tijuana, and many Americans are likely to pass through the city if they enter Mexico by land.

11. Acapulco de Juarez, Guerrero (74.7)

This beach town south of Mexico City was once considered one of the top tourist destinations in Mexico thanks to its luxury resorts and cruise ship docks. Its position on the Pacific coast of Mexico also made it a staple of shipping.

Unfortunately, the last few years have been difficult Acapulcowhen cartels establish local criminal markets and potential tourists are warned against visiting the port city. The homicide rate is 74.7 per population of 789,000.

12. Colima City, Colima (72.7)

This is the capital of the state Kolyma has seaports as well as nearby agricultural industry. These things make the city important from an economic point of view, and also make it a favorable place for criminal activity and battles with drug cartels. The current homicide rate is 72.2 per 163,000 population.

Violent crimes in general

To track homicides in specific locations, statisticians have developed a standard known as the homicide rate, which is the number of homicides recorded per 100,000 residents over a period of time, usually one year.

Nationally, Mexico’s homicide rate is on the rise pinged up and downfalling during the 1990s to a level roughly comparable to that of the United States.

Beginning in 2007, the number of reported homicides began to rise sharply, possibly coinciding with the increase in the use of opioids and methamphetamine in the United States. The rate peaked in 2018 at 29.58 deaths per 100,000 and now appears to have been slowly declining again over the past five years. .

Violence against women is also of particular concern to the Mexican government, as are female victims proportionally increased by 135 percent since 2015.

The most likely problems associated with these killing trends are drug trafficking, money laundering operations and corrupt police forces that are said to be under the control of organized crime groups.

As in many other countries, Mexican cities often witness gang violence. Mexico also contains hundreds of other rural areas that are relatively free of local criminal gangs and drug cartel conflicts.

Original article: Mexico’s 12 most dangerous cities by number of murders per capita