Michoacán authorities seize thousands of slot machines to disrupt criminal funding

Authorities in Michoacán have seized 4,482 slot machines between 2023 and August 2026 as part of an effort to disrupt criminal financing. José Antonio Cruz Medina, head of the State Public Security Secretariat (SSP), stated that these irregular gambling devices serve as a significant revenue source for organized crime. The removal of these machines is estimated to prevent approximately 53.7 million pesos per month from being diverted to criminal activities.

In separate security developments, coordinated operations involving the National Defense Secretariat, National Guard, and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection successfully dismantled three clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in the mountainous regions of Guerrero. These operations resulted in the seizure of various industrial equipment, chemical substances, and large quantities of precursors used in synthetic drug production.

Additionally, reports from the Network for the Rights of Children in Mexico (REDIM) highlight ongoing violence against minors in Michoacán. Data from 2025 indicates that Michoacán recorded the highest number of homicides of children and adolescents in the country, with 219 victims reported.