Mexico’s government is implementing a new security strategy in the state of Michoacán, a region increasingly challenged by a complex web of criminal organizations. The move follows recent high-profile killings – including that of Uruapan’s mayor – and aims to restore order under the recently launched “Plan Michoacán for Peace and Justice.” A veteran law enforcement official, José Antonio Cruz Medina, has been appointed to lead the state’s public safety efforts, bringing extensive experience from both federal and state-level policing.
Morelia, Mexico – A veteran law enforcement official with close ties to a top security official has been appointed to lead the embattled state of Michoacán’s public safety efforts, as the region grapples with escalating violence. The move comes as part of a broader government plan to address the growing crisis and restore order.
José Antonio Cruz Medina, a career police officer, was named Secretary of Public Security for Michoacán on Sunday, November 12, according to officials. Ramsés Adalid Vega Sayavedra, formerly the director of the Auxiliary Police, will serve as the Undersecretary of Police Operations, following the departure of José Ortega Silva.
The appointments are central to “Plan Michoacán for Peace and Justice,” launched a week prior by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. The plan is a direct response to widespread public outcry following the murders of Bernardo Bravo Manríquez, a prominent lime grower leader in Apatzingán, on October 19, and Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo Rodríguez, on November 1. These killings underscored the escalating insecurity plaguing the state.
The initiative aims to confront more than a dozen drug cartels that have operated in Michoacán for over a decade. According to criminal intelligence maps released by the federal government, these organizations include the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), as well as the Tepalcatepec Cartel, the Los Reyes Cartel, the Acahuato Cartel, the Aquila Cartel, the Coahuayana Cartel, the Zicuirán/Migueladas Cartel, Cartel X, Los Blancos de Troya, Los Viagras, the Knights Templar, La Familia Michoacana, Pueblos Unidos, Los Correa, and Los Lolos (operating in the Bajío region of Michoacán), among others.
Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla formally appointed Cruz Medina to the position on November 12. Cruz Medina had only recently, on August 18, been named Vice Prosecutor within the State Attorney General’s Office, reporting directly to Attorney General Carlos Torres Piña.
Cruz Medina is a contemporary of Omar García Harfuch, the current Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, and the two previously served together in the now-defunct Federal Police. There, Cruz Medina held the position of Director General of Technical and Tactical Operations within the Investigative Division, overseeing operations targeting high-impact criminal groups and priority objectives.
The new Secretary of Security also served as the State Security Guard Coordinator for the Baja California Prosecutor’s Office and as a research director within the National Anti-Kidnapping Coordination of the National Guard. His record includes an Honorary Mention from the Federal Police and numerous certifications in surveillance and tactical intelligence.
Cruz Medina holds a law degree with a postgraduate degree in Civil Law, a master’s degree in Forensic Science, and an honorary doctorate. His international training includes retraining with the FBI in Mexico, combat training in urban guerrilla warfare and hostile zones at the European Security Academy in Poland, and a course on Rural Operations Planning and Police Service Management from the National Police of Colombia.
He has also represented Mexico at several high-level international forums, including the Trilateral Meeting on Human Trafficking between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada; the 2024 International Conference on Synthetic Drugs; the Mexico-United States Roundtable on Arms Trafficking (2023); and the 27th Annual Problem-Oriented Policing Conference in Houston, Texas.
