Mexico is a complicated place. If you’ve spent any time reading the headlines lately, you’ve probably seen the dark green and white uniforms of the National Guard of Mexico (Guardia Nacional) popping up everywhere from the chaotic border towns in the north to the busy metro stations of Mexico City. It’s a force that basically everyone in the country has an opinion on, but very few people actually understand how it functions—or why it exists in the first place.
Back in 2019, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) promised a "civilian" force that would finally get a handle on the spiraling violence that has plagued the country for decades. He told the public that the old Federal Police were corrupt beyond saving. He was right about the corruption, honestly. But what we got instead wasn't exactly a group of friendly neighborhood watchmen. Instead, we got a massive, paramilitary organization that looks, talks, and acts a lot like the army.
Today, the National Guard of Mexico has over 120,000 members. That is a staggering number of boots on the ground.
The Identity Crisis of the Guardia Nacional
The biggest thing people get wrong about the National Guard of Mexico is thinking it’s just a "new" police force. It’s not. In the beginning, it was pitched as a hybrid. It was supposed to have a civilian command structure under the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection. But if you look at the DNA of the troops, it’s mostly military. Roughly 70% to 80% of the initial recruits were transferred directly from the Army (SEDENA) and the Navy (SEMAR).
They didn't just change their mindset overnight.
You can't take a soldier trained for high-intensity combat and tell them they are now a beat cop responsible for community outreach and gathering evidence for a local prosecutor. It doesn't work like that. The training for a soldier is to "neutralize" a target; the training for a cop is to protect rights and build a legal case. This friction is exactly why human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have been shouting from the rooftops for years. They argue that the militarization of public security in Mexico hasn't actually reduced the murder rate—it just moved the guns into a different uniform.
Where Are They Actually?
You’ll find the National Guard of Mexico doing things you’d never expect. They aren't just chasing cartels in the mountains of Sinaloa or Michoacán. They are guarding the subway. In January 2023, thousands of Guard members were deployed into the Mexico City Metro after a series of "accidents" that the government called suspicious. People were literally commuting to work next to guys carrying tactical rifles.
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Then there is the migration issue.
Because of intense pressure from the United States—both during the Trump and Biden administrations—the National Guard has essentially become Mexico’s de facto border patrol. Instead of fighting the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), thousands of Guard members are stationed along the Suchiate River on the southern border with Guatemala. They are there to stop caravans. This is a huge pivot from their original "pacification" mission. It’s a political tool as much as a security one.
The Constitutional Tug-of-War
The legal status of the National Guard of Mexico has been a total mess. Seriously.
In 2022, the Mexican Congress passed a law to give the Army total control over the Guard. Critics lost their minds. They argued this was a blatant violation of the constitution, which explicitly says the Guard must be civilian-led. The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) actually agreed and struck down the transfer in 2023. They told the government they had to give control back to the civilian security ministry.
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- The Court ruled 8-3 against the military takeover.
- AMLO called the judges "conservative" and out of touch.
- By 2024 and 2025, the political push to officially fold the Guard into the Army became a central pillar of the "Plan C" legislative reforms.
Essentially, the government wants to make it legal for the military to do police work forever. Proponents say the military is the only institution the public still trusts. Opponents say that when you use the military for policing, you stop bothering to build a working justice system. If you just arrest people and the "police" don't know how to fill out the paperwork correctly, the judges just let the criminals go. It’s a revolving door.
Realities on the Ground: Does it Actually Work?
If we look at the data from INEGI (Mexico’s statistics agency), the results are mixed. Brutally mixed. While the National Guard has a higher approval rating than the old local police forces—mostly because they aren't seen as being "in the pocket" of the local mayor—the homicide rate remains stubbornly high.
Violence isn't just about how many guys you have on the street. It’s about intelligence.
The National Guard of Mexico is great at "presence." They drive around in those white pickup trucks with the lights flashing. It makes people feel a bit safer for five minutes. But they rarely conduct deep investigations into the financial structures of the cartels. They don't often dismantle the "protection rackets" that force a local lemon farmer to pay a tax just to harvest his crop. They are a reactive force, not a proactive one.
The Cost of the Guard
Building this force wasn't cheap. We are talking about billions of pesos. The government has built hundreds of barracks across the country. These aren't just tents; they are permanent installations. This suggests that the "National Guard of Mexico" isn't a temporary fix. They are the new reality of Mexican life.
But where does the money come from? It often comes at the expense of local police budgets. This is the "Subsemun" or "Fortaseg" trap. Federal funding for municipal police has been slashed or diverted. The logic is: "Why give money to a corrupt local cop when we can just send the National Guard?"
The problem is that a National Guard member from Veracruz who is stationed in Tijuana doesn't know who the local neighborhood bully is. They don't know the shortcuts. They don't have ties to the community. When they leave, the vacuum is filled by the same criminals as before.
What to Watch For
The future of the National Guard of Mexico is tied to the legacy of the current administration and the path of its successors. We are seeing a permanent shift in how Mexico handles internal threats. It’s no longer about "law enforcement" in the traditional sense. It’s about territorial control.
If you are traveling to Mexico or doing business there, the Guard is who you will see at checkpoints. They are generally polite to tourists, but they are under immense pressure. They deal with high desertion rates and the constant temptation of cartel bribes. It’s a tough gig.
Actionable Insights for Understanding the Situation
To really get what's happening, you have to look past the official press releases.
- Check the SCJN Rulings: Keep an eye on the Supreme Court. Their decisions on whether the Guard stays civilian or goes military will dictate the country's human rights landscape for the next decade.
- Follow Local Journalism: Reporters from outlets like Animal Político or El Universal often get the real stories of what happens when the Guard enters a town. They track the "disappearances" and the "confrontations" that the government likes to gloss over.
- Distinguish Between Forces: Learn to tell the difference between the Sedena (Army) and the Guardia Nacional. If the truck is white, it’s the Guard. If it’s olive drab, it’s the Army. The rules of engagement are supposedly different, though in practice, they often blur.
- Watch the Border: The Guard’s role in migration is the best indicator of Mexico’s relationship with the U.S. When the U.S. asks for "help," the Guard is the first group moved to the border.
The National Guard of Mexico is a massive experiment. It is a bet that a unified, semi-military force can do what thousands of fragmented local police departments couldn't. Whether that bet pays off—or if it just creates a more powerful, harder-to-control military apparatus—is the biggest question facing Mexico today. It's a messy, loud, and often violent transition.
Don't expect it to get simpler anytime soon.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Knowledge
- Review the ENVIPE Survey: Look at the latest National Survey on Victimization and Perception of Public Security (ENVIPE) to see how trust in the National Guard compares to local police in specific states like Guanajuato or Zacatecas.
- Track Legislative Changes: Monitor the Diario Oficial de la Federación (DOF) for any new decrees regarding the administrative transfer of the Guard to the Ministry of Defense.
- Consult Human Rights Reports: Read the annual reports from the Centro Prodh, one of Mexico's most respected human rights organizations, which tracks the legal challenges and abuses linked to the Guardia Nacional.