The National Defense Secretariat (Sedena) announced that it has met its National Guard recruitment target to sign up nearly 15,000 new members from the civilian population this year.

Three-year targets are 14,833 new recruits this year, 14,430 in 2020 and 14,400 in 2021.

President López Obrador announced the creation of the National Guard in 2018 as the centerpiece of his strategy for combating crime and bringing peace to Mexico.

“The recruiting process creates opportunities for young people who desire to develop themselves professionally with the conviction of serving their country and committing themselves to the people of Mexico, always adhering to legality, ethics and full respect of human rights,” said Sedena in a press release.

Of the 14,606 National Guard troops recruited as of August 2019, 3,903 were women and 11,513 were men.

As of September, more than 56,000 guardsmen had been deployed across the country.

Source: Defensa (sp)