Mexico’s Minister of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch has formalized the creation of an elite law-enforcement unit dedicated to investigating and pursuing high-impact crimes, as well as carrying out special operations against major drivers of violence.
The new force was established through an agreement published December 1 in the Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF), the Mexican government’s official gazette.
The agreement grants the Intelligence and Police Investigation Directorate the authority to assemble this specialized group, which will operate under the command of the National Unit for Strategic Operations (UNO).
The Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) stated that the initiative seeks to improve internal organization and accelerate its response to cases within its jurisdiction.
According to the document, the unit’s functions will include designing and executing intelligence-based operations to locate and arrest priority targets; establishing protocols for situations that pose risks to the population, property, or the environment; and implementing protective measures for public officials who may be exposed to threats or attacks.
The agents will receive advanced training and specialized instruction, and will maintain ongoing coordination with security institutions at the federal, state, and municipal levels, as well as with international organizations, to conduct joint operations.
They will also support investigative efforts, enforce judicial and ministerial orders, and collaborate with other divisions of the SSPC on strategic assignments.
The agreement aligns with Axis 3 of Mexico’s National Public Security Strategy 2024–2030, entitled “Strengthening Intelligence and Investigation,” which focuses on leveraging human, technological, and material resources to detect criminal patterns, guide operational planning, and neutralize criminal organizations—while ensuring full respect for human rights.
The head of UNO will be directly responsible for coordinating, organizing, and supervising the elite unit, as well as issuing the specific operational guidelines. However, the Minister of Security and Citizen Protection may also exercise these delegated powers directly when deemed necessary.
Related: Federal Forces Seize More Than Half A Ton Of Methamphetamine In The Port Of Mazatlán
Mexican Press Agency is part of ALMA, which is dedicated to news and information about Mexico and Mexicans in the United States and is a fiscally sponsored project of Social Focus, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Redwood City, California.
