Sheinbaum’s mañanera in 60 seconds

• 📉 Guanajuato homicides down 43% this year: At Friday’s mañanera in Irapuato, National Public Security System chief Marcela Figueroa reported an average of 3.2 homicides per day in Guanajuato in August, 75% lower than in February 2025, the state’s most violent month under Sheinbaum. The daily average for the first eight months of 2026 was 4, a 43% year-over-year decline. This year is on track to be the state’s least violent since 2017.
• 🚔 10,699 arrests in Guanajuato since October 2024: Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said 172 of the people detained through Aug. 31 were “priority targets.” In the same period, authorities also seized more than 6 tonnes of drugs and over 2,000 firearms, and dismantled two methamphetamine labs.
• ⚖️ Suspect arrested in murder of Spanish student: García Harfuch confirmed that a man known as “El Trompas,” identified as Francisco Javier Meléndez, was detained Thursday in Cuautla, Morelos, in connection with the murder of Claudia Tacoronte Aguilera, a 21-year-old Spanish exchange student.
• 📞 Sheinbaum says her call with Trump was “very good”: Sheinbaum said she spoke to the U.S. president about trade issues on Wednesday. She said differences have not yet been resolved, but that good progress is being made.

Why today’s mañanera matters

President Claudia Sheinbaum held her Friday morning press conference in Irapuato, a city in Guanajuato, a state that in recent years has been Mexico’s most violent in terms of total homicides.

At the mañanera, federal security officials took the opportunity to outline the progress that has been made in combating violence in the state. Much of the violence in Guanajuato is related to organized crime, and, in particular, a long-running turf war between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.

Also of note at today’s mañanera was Security Minister Omar García Harfuch’s confirmation that a man known as “El Trompas” was detained in connection with the murder in Cuautla, Morelos, of Claudia Tacoronte Aguilera, a 21-year-old Spanish woman who was studying at the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos on an exchange program.

In addition, Sheinbaum spoke briefly about her trade-focused call on Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump. The call came less than two weeks after Trump asserted that Mexico has “nothing” the United States needs — apart from “hot tamales” and “tomatoes” — and therefore the U.S. could cease trading with its southern neighbor. In reality, Mexico supplies a wide range of goods to the U.S., and the economies of the two countries are highly integrated.

Homicides down 43% in Guanajuato this year 

National Public Security System chief Marcela Figueroa reported that there was an average of 3.2 homicides per day in Guanajuato in August. Figueroa highlighted that the daily average in August was 75% lower than that in February 2025, the most violent month in Guanajuato since Sheinbaum took office in October 2024.

She reported that there was an average of 4 homicides per day in Guanajuato in the first eight months of 2026, a reduction of 43% compared to 2025. Data presented by Figueroa showed that 2026 is on track to be the least violent year in Guanajuato since 2017.

More than 10,000 arrests in Guanajuato since Sheinbaum took office 

García Harfuch reported that more than 10,600 people were arrested in Guanajuato between Oct. 1, 2024 — the date Sheinbaum was sworn in as president — and Aug. 31, 2026.

Of the 10,699 people detained in the state in the period, 172 were “priority targets,” García Harfuch said.

He also reported that over 6 tonnes of drugs and more than 2,000 firearms were seized in Guanajuato between October 2024 and August 2026. In addition, two methamphetamine laboratories were dismantled, García Harfuch said.

Suspect arrested in Morelos femicide case 

García Harfuch reported that federal and state security forces detained Francisco Javier “N” on Thursday in connection with the murder of Tacoronte. The suspect has been identified as Francisco Javier Meléndez in media reports. He was detained in Cuautla, a city around 40 kilometers southeast of Cuernavaca, the capital of Morelos.

García Harfuch first reported the arrest in a social media post on Thursday evening.

On Friday morning, he said that “preventing femicides and addressing violence against women” is a “priority” of the federal government.

En #Morelos, autoridades federales y estatales detienen a un hombre por el feminicidio de una joven de nacionalidad española. https://t.co/mLtMcbL8ch pic.twitter.com/jyLFGK6NtE

— Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (@SSPCMexico) September 18, 2026

Sheinbaum discloses ‘very good’ call with Trump 

Sheinbaum told reporters that she spoke to Trump on Wednesday.

“It was a scheduled call,” she said, adding that she often speaks to the U.S. president without publicly announcing their discussions.

“Why? Because we’re making progress on trade issues,” Sheinbaum said.

She said that differences over trade have not yet been resolved, but stressed that good progress is being made.

Reuters reported on Sept. 11 that “Mexico and the United States are racing to reach a bilateral trade deal before the U.S. midterm elections,” which will take place on Nov. 3. As part of a bilateral deal, Mexico is seeking the reduction — or ideally the elimination — of U.S. tariffs on Mexican steel, aluminum and vehicles.

On July 1, the United States announced that it had declined to renew the USMCA in its “current form,” although the three-way pact remains in effect.

Sheinbaum said her call with Trump was “very good.”

“… The Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco and Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard were with me in the conversation,” she added.

By Mexico News Daily chief staff writer Peter Davies (peter.davies@mexiconewsdaily.com)