Sheinbaum announces security support for Morelos after student murders

President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a special security plan for Morelos following the murder of two teenage students who attended High School No. 2 of the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos (UAEM). The incident, which also left another young man injured, took place early on Sunday in Cuernavaca, the state’s capital. 

“We are going to coordinate with the governor [Margarita González Saravia] to find out where she needs our support,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her Monday morning press conference. Sheinbaum also said that Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez had contacted the head of the UAEM, Viridiana Aydeé León Hernández, to learn more about the needs of the university community.

“We need to get in touch with the rector and the students to see what is happening and implement further preventive measures involving the students,” the president said.

She noted that according to data from the Public Security and Citizen Protection Ministry (SSPC), the number of intentional homicides in Morelos is declining, but crimes such as theft are on the rise.   

Seven UAEM-affiliated students have been murdered in Morelos since April 2025, including Claudia Tacoronte, a Spanish student on an academic exchange program in Cuernavaca. The young woman was murdered on the night of Sept. 12 in Cuautla, after falling victim to a robbery. 

Meanwhile, Cuernavaca Mayor José Luis Urióstegui Salgado acknowledged that the municipal security strategy has not succeeded. 

“The patrols conducted by our police officers are becoming less visible, and criminals are taking advantage of this; that is why I called upon all of our security forces today to redouble their efforts, and I instructed the secretary and the command staff to focus more on providing support to the officers on the ground,” he noted.

Urióstegui stated that he would evaluate reinforcing police operations and warned that, if no results are seen in two weeks, changes to security leadership could occur. 

“I deeply regret this situation. There should be no more homicides anywhere,” he said.