Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection
| Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Civil | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | November 30, 2018 (2018年11月30日) |
| Jurisdiction | Federal government of Mexico |
| Headquarters | Mexico City |
| Minister responsible | |
| Child agency |
|
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The Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection (Spanish: Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana or SSPC) is a cabinet-level agency of the government of Mexico responsible for supervising public safety and security, including the Commission for the Attention of Intentional Homicide, National Intelligence Centre, Federal Protection Service, National Antikidnapping Coordination, National Disaster Prevention Center, and the former Federal Police and it's under-ministries and units. The agency is known to collaborate with the Attorney General's Office and the Judiciary in the investigation and prosecution of crimes in Mexico. Its secretary is Omar García Harfuch as of 2025 in Claudia Sheinbaum administration.
History
[edit ]The SSPC was created in 2018 by way of the omnibus reform package to the Organic Law of the Federal Public Administration for the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. It absorbed all of the security apparatus housed in the Secretariat of the Interior (SEGOB), including the National Security Commission (CNS).[1] These functions had been in SEGOB since the Secretariat of Public Security was dissolved at the start of 2013.
Among the tasks to be undertaken by the new SSPC are the formation of a new National Guard, which will absorb the 35,000 members of the military police and another 8,000 from the naval police.[2]
Starting under former Mexican President Manuel Lòpez Obrador, the National Guard was shifted from being controlled by the SSPC to now also being under full control of the Mexican Ministry of Defense (SEDENA).[3]
Right after the beginning of the term of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, following her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador, there where several reforms put into place to expand the SSPCs role in internal security.
The new head, Omar Garciá Harfuch, a former officer of the now disbanded Mexican Federal Police, was appointed by Claudia Sheinbaum to be the new head of the SSPC.
In terms of tackling the still urgent security crises in Mexico, the SSPC received more resources and capabilities in terms of intelligence and police investigations, making it another independent federal law enforcement organ besides the National Guard and the Attorney Generals Office(PGR).[4] [5]
Also, the Mexican National Guard transferred about 10.000 employes of the former Mexican Federal Police away from their military structure, now subordinate to the SSPC and the Undersecretary of Intelligence and Police Investigations. This begann in start of Nov 2024 with 1300 troops of the General Directorate of Special Services of the National Guard where transferred to the SSPC.[6]
On 18th of December 2024, an federal agent of the SSPC was killed while working in the State of Sinaloa. As of Februar 2025, no arrests have been made.[7]
References
[edit ]- ^ Notimex (22 November 2018). "Senado aprueba creación de la Secretaría de Seguridad Pública; desaparece Sedesol". El Heraldo de México. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
- ^ "Durazo recibe la Secretaría de Seguridad y presenta los 6 ejes que regirán su estrategia". SinEmbargo. 1 December 2018.
- ^ "Mexico's Congress puts National Guard under military command despite criticism. Why does it matter?". AP news.
- ^ "New Federal Police in the SSPC outlines a Mexican FBI". Debate.
- ^ "The structural redesign of security in Mexico". Wilson Center.
- ^ "Guardia Nacional inicia traslado de 10 mil elementos de la Policía Federal a la SSPC". Publimetro (in Spanish). 17 November 2024.
- ^ "Federal Agent killed in Sinaloa, confirmed by the SSPC". Mexico News Daily.
