Mexico City, February 24, 2026 –
Mexico’s Secretary of National Defence, Ricardo Trevilla, has revealed that the vast majority of firearms seized from criminal cartels in the country originate from the United States, while a smaller portion comes from Israel.
Speaking on Monday, Trevilla said that under the current administration’s security operations, authorities have recovered 23,000 weapons from organized crime networks. Of these, roughly 80 per cent were sourced from the U.S., with the remaining 20 per cent traced to Israel.
“These figures reflect the general strategy of our administration in combating organized crime,” Trevilla stated, noting that no further details on the firearms were disclosed.
The disclosure comes amid heightened security operations in western Mexico following the death of top cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera, head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, who was killed in a recent military operation.
In response to the crackdown, Mexican authorities have deployed an additional 2,500 troops to reinforce the 7,000 already stationed in Jalisco, as violence erupted nationwide in retaliation. Cartel members reportedly set vehicles and businesses on fire and blocked major roads in several cities.
The revelations underline the continuing challenge Mexico faces in curbing the flow of foreign weapons into its borders, even as the government ramps up its offensive against organized crime.
