Mexico's mining sector expects improvement in security with new govt

Ravaged by high levels of crime, Mexico’s mining sector expects an improvement in security with the arrival of Claudia Sheinbaum's government on October 1, due to the experience of Omar García Harfuch, who the president-elect chose as head of the security and citizen protection department (SSPC).

García Harfuch is a career police officer and was secretary of public security for Mexico City between 2019 and 2023 when Sheinbaum was mayor. He also holds a degree in law and public security, with specialization studies at Harvard University, the FBI and the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

“I trust, not 100%, that the new president, Dr Claudia [Sheinbaum], can somehow improve the security system. I trust because, at least, as García Harfuch is going to lead it, the security issue is totally different. He is prepared, with studies in every respect in terms of security,” said Javier Robles, country manager of private security company Grupo Multisistemas de Seguridad Industrial, during a presentation at the Mexico Mining Forum 2024.

“Solving crime has not been a simple matter,” said the expert in security for the mining industry, and lamented that companies have been subject to extortion by organized crime groups, which is why they have allocated between 5% and 10% more to their security budgets.

Robles said that mining associations have conveyed this problem to the authorities and met current SSPC head Rosa Icela Rodríguez.

"If you ask me if there were any reactions, there weren't any. They [the SSPC] didn't act. So, once again, we remain abandoned when it comes to the issue of crime," he said.

Robles said the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel and the Noroeste cartel are the one committing crimes against mining companies and highlighted that crime has affected the most important mining regions of the country, including states such as Sonora, Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Guerrero and Mexico state.

The recommendations for mining companies in Mexico, Robles said, include hiring professionals in security and avoiding direct negotiations with organized crime groups and instead filing complaints with the relevant authorities.

“There is a part of the mining sector that obviously has negotiated so they're allowed to work, their suppliers, their employees…. I don't recommend it. The ideal thing is to file a complaint about what they're demanding and who is asking you to do it,” he said.

“Sometimes we don't report things because we think it's a waste of time, but the more complaints there are, the more likely the authorities are to react, because there's already evidence, there may be facial composites, there are many means by which they can be controlled,” added the security expert.

He added that people do not have to risk making complaints in person because there are ways to do so virtually.

If a mining company hires a security service provider, Robles recommends that they first verify that it complies with the regulations required by the general directorate of private security, that it is in the registry of providers of specialized services or specialized works (REPSE) and that it has all the state and federal permits required to operate.

Secondly, the expert recommends carrying out a risk assessment that allows users to be informed of the probability that certain threats may materialize and may have economic or even life-threatening consequences, so they can take appropriate measures.

"Therefore, it's about establishing a risk relationship toward procedures we call 'guidelines,' which are the regulations the client provides to the company [such as suppliers] to follow regarding security. In the guideline procedure, there should be no exceptions," said Robles.