The city of Tapachula, a major transit point in Mexico's southern border, has reported the highest levels of perceived insecurity in the country, with organized crime competing to control drug and human trafficking routes from South America. According to the latest National Urban Public Safety Survey (ENSU) from Mexico's National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), 9 in 10 Tapachula residents (91.9%) feel unsafe.
Local government data shows that Tapachula hosts around 60% of Mexico's migrant population, with irregular migration up 193% year-on-year in the first half of 2023, reaching over 712,000 people nationwide. This increased migration correlates with a rise in crimes against migrants, including extortion and human trafficking, as Teodoro Vázquez Castillo of Chiapas' Revolutionary Workers Federation told EFE on Friday:
