Claudia Sheinbaum Calls for Nationwide Disarmament as Mexico Removes Nearly 40,000 Guns

Mexico’s voluntary disarmament program “Sí al Desarme, Sí a la Paz” has collected 11,679 firearms – 6,404 short‑guns, 3,419 long‑guns, 856 grenades – and more than 700,000 cartridges since its launch in October 2024. Together with about 28,000 weapons seized in security operations, the total number of arms taken off the streets approaches 40,000.

President Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted that roughly 75 % of the seized or voluntarily delivered weapons originate from the United States and urged Washington to intensify efforts to stop the illegal flow. She said, “Alto a las armas, alto al fuego… Cada arma que sale de la circulación representa una vida que se salva.”

The initiative has been marked by public destruction ceremonies across the country. In Ciudad Juárez, Governor Maru Campos oversaw the demolition of 1,592 weapons, 1,826 magazines and 89,775 cartridges. Similar events were held in Acapulco and Tijuana, where 1,148 firearms were destroyed. In Mexico City, Mayor Clara Brugada reported 1,800 guns and 191,000 cartridges removed through modules installed in more than a hundred church atriums, and the exchange of 700 toy weapons for educational toys, soon to be swapped for books.

Authorities credit the program for a near‑50 % reduction in homicides nationwide and for the lowest homicide rate in Mexico City in the past 15 years, recorded in June 2026 during the FIFA World Cup. U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson, responding to Sheinbaum’s call, cited U.S. seizures of 50,000 firearms and 2.9 million cartridges, emphasizing ongoing bilateral coordination.

Overall, the disarmament effort is presented as a key component of the government’s broader “attention to the causes of violence” strategy, linking weapon removal, community‑based peace initiatives, and cultural projects that transform surrendered arms into public artworks.