Guadalajara kicks off World Cup celebrations this week with an expanded digital footprint. Plus, there is good news on the crime front, and we are now celebrating our first Michelin-starred restaurants. 

Violent crime is down significantly, but other types of crime are on the rise

While splashy international headlines continue to fixate on the risk of cartel violence in Jalisco following the military operation last February to remove Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the longtime leader of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), official crime statistics tell a different story.

According to figures from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (Sesnsp), Jalisco registered 279 homicides in the first four months of 2026, a 44% drop from the 501 homicides reported during the same period in 2025. 

When compared to 2024, current numbers look even better. The state’s homicide rate is down 53.5% from two years ago and 58% from the first four months of 2023.

Since the removal of El Mencho, additional military operations in Jalisco and neighboring Nayarit have taken out other top CJNG personnel. Now, with crime numbers continuing to fall, President Sheinbaum’s assertive posture (in sharp contrast to her predecessor’s notorious “hugs not bullets” approach) is being vindicated.

Jalisco’s Governor Pablo Lemus credited the new strategy’s success to better collaboration between Sheinbaum’s federal government and state police. Notably, the military has deployed more than 6,000 personnel in Jalisco, who now patrol the streets alongside more than 8,000 state police. 

While violent crime is dropping in Jalisco, overall crime figures have recorded a low single-digit uptick this year. Based on figures recently presented at the Peace Roundtables (a forum where municipal, state and federal authorities gather to monitor crime data and coordinate tactical operations), the increase reflects a rising incidence of non-lethal crimes, including robberies, drug dealing and vehicular theft. 

Guadalajara adds bandwidth, while private communications firms rush to capitalize on World Cup demand

Area residents have closely followed government efforts to upgrade and expand Guadalajara’s mass transit infrastructure ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Less visible (but no less dramatic) has been the concerted push to upgrade Guadalajara’s digital infrastructure. 

In anticipation of the unprecedented demand these games are expected to bring from visiting fans, residents and the media, the city has worked diligently to expand network capacity through public and private investments. 

In the private market, Verizon, as the official telecommunications services sponsor of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has been pitching eSim plans through an app it calls “Visible by Verizon.” 

According to the company’s website, the Visible eSIM Travel Pass is a dedicated service for World Cup visitors that offers unlimited premium data on Verizon’s 5G network, unlimited texts, high-speed roaming and international calling.

The significant bandwidth challenges ahead

Verizon customers in Guadalajara during the World Cup will be roaming on Telcel’s LTE Network. And while Telcel is reassuring local customers that their service will be prioritized during peak network congestion, it’s still possible that in areas of greatest demand, such as Estadio Akron in Zapopan and the Guadalajara Fan Festival, the network could become overwhelmed.

Local authorities have acknowledged they face “significant challenges” providing enough bandwidth to meet expected demand during the World Cup, but highlight ongoing efforts with telecom companies to expand network capacity in critical areas. 

Service interruptions (if they occur) would be felt most acutely at the stadium, as FIFA plans for the first time to deliver all tickets electronically through its mobile app, with no printed offline backup. 

Estadio Akron and its internet service

Earlier this year, internet testing company Ookla compared network performance at each stadium hosting World Cup games in 2026 to assess their readiness. While Estadio Akron’s performance compared favorably against Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey, it lagged behind host stadiums in the U.S. and Canada. 

For Guadalajara Metro Area (GMA) residents long accustomed to middling performance from Red Jalisco (the city’s free public Wi-Fi network), the city made numerous system upgrades this year to expand and improve the reliability of high-speed internet service. 

These efforts were centered on Estadio Akron, Guadalajara International Airport, public plazas and the new light rail Line 4. The state government has also installed multiple interactive totems in high-traffic areas around the GMA offering free internet, fast-charging ports for cell phones, an emergency button that links directly to the Zapopan C5 security center and modules with tourist information in 18 different languages.

Guadalajara now has 2 restaurants with Michelin Stars

It’s been a long time coming, but Guadalajara finally has two restaurants with Michelin stars. In the guide’s first year covering Jalisco, two highly acclaimed restaurants in Mexico’s second-largest city have made the cut.

Alcalde, run by Chef Pascual Ruano, and Xocol, headed up by the husband-and-wife team Óscar Segundo and Xrysw Ruelas Díaz, each earned a covered Michelin star in the 2026 edition of the guide. 

Xocol is a personal affair with owners, chefs, and life partners Segundo and Ruelas Díaz at the helm. In their intimate dining room, everyone sits together at one long communal table with a view of the open kitchen. Their dishes frequently showcase heirloom corn varieties long absent from the urban culinary scene, and fermented ingredients that yield tasty, inimitable creations. 

Alcalde, known for its contemporary take on Jaliscense cuisine, is the standard bearer for haute cuisine in Guadalajara. Seasonal menus allow chef and owner Paco Ruano to feature top local produce, fish and meats, while drawing upon his deep experience in some of the top kitchens in Europe. 

For full reviews, check out our own from last year.

In addition to the prestigious Michelin stars, the following local restaurants earned Bib Gourmand designations for offering excellent food at a great value:

• PalReal — a stylish venue for contemporary comfort food in Arcos Vallarta.
• Tacos y Gorditas Elvira — a classic lunch spot in the Mercado Alcalde.

With reports from El Mural, La Razón and El País.

MND Writer Dawn Stoner is reporting from Guadalajara.