Is there a war in Mexico?

Yes. UCDP lists 12 active armed conflicts with fighting recorded in Mexico.

3 of them at war level (1,000+ deaths in a year). Largest: Jalisco Cartel New Generation - Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, 1,489 deaths in 2025.

Updated 30 October 2026 · UCDP data through 30 September 2026 · View on map →

Deaths recorded in Mexico in 2025

0in state-based fighting

7,827in fighting between armed groups

77in attacks on civilians (one-sided violence)

UCDP GED Global 26.1: best estimates for events located in Mexico (as UCDP places them), by type of violence. The three are shown separately, as UCDP counts them, and are not added together here.

The conflicts

Each conflict as UCDP defines it: a dispute with at least 25 battle-related deaths in a year. Figures are UCDP best estimates; the newest months are preliminary and can change. UCDP does not record who started each clash.

War levelNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2002

Jalisco Cartel New Generation - Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel

1,489deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1

216deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

19,751total 2018–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (8 years listed)

Who is fighting: Jalisco Cartel New Generation vs Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel

2002highest: 4,1902026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	216
2025	1,489
2024	2,389
2023	2,001
2022	2,348
2021	2,225
2020	4,190
2019	2,881
2018	2,228

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Mexico · View on map →

War levelNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2020

Sinaloa Cartel - Los Chapitos - Sinaloa Cartel - Los Mayos

1,095deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1

2deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

2,639total 2020–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (6 years listed)

Who is fighting: Sinaloa Cartel - Los Chapitos vs Sinaloa Cartel - Los Mayos

2020highest: 1,0952026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: April 2026

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	2
2025	1,095
2024	1,009
2023	215
2022	129
2021	83
2020	108

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Mexico · View on map →

War levelNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2004

Juarez Cartel - Sinaloa Cartel

1,075deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1

56deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

29,442total 2004–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (20 years listed)

Who is fighting: Juarez Cartel vs Sinaloa Cartel

2004highest: 3,6712026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	56
2025	1,075
2024	1,690
2023	1,806
2022	1,363
2021	1,691
2020	956
2019	948
2018	1,363
2017	1,257
2016	934
2015	946
2014	1,097
2013	1,786
2012	2,181
2011	1,695
2010	3,671
2009	2,986
2008	1,800
2007	136
2004	61

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Mexico · View on map →

Armed conflictNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2015

Jalisco Cartel New Generation - Sinaloa Cartel

996deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1

107deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

30,574total 2015–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (11 years listed)

Who is fighting: Jalisco Cartel New Generation vs Sinaloa Cartel

2015highest: 5,2502026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: July 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only Mexico). Also recorded in: Guatemala.

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	107
2025	996
2024	3,103
2023	3,807
2022	4,360
2021	5,250
2020	4,690
2019	2,719
2018	2,758
2017	2,111
2016	725
2015	55

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Mexico · View on map →

Armed conflictNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2024

Carteles Unidos - Jalisco Cartel New Generation, Los Blancos de Troya, Los de la Virgen, Los Viagras

780deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1

1,211total 2024–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (2 years listed)

Who is fighting: Carteles Unidos vs Jalisco Cartel New Generation, Los Blancos de Troya, Los de la Virgen, Los Viagras

2024highest: 7802025

Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: December 2025

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
2025	780
2024	431

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Mexico · View on map →

7 more conflicts in Mexico

Conflict (UCDP)	2025	Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary
Jalisco Cartel New Generation, Sinaloa Cartel - Los Chapitos - Sinaloa Cartel - Los Mayos Jalisco Cartel New Generation, Sinaloa Cartel - Los Chapitos vs Sinaloa Cartel - Los Mayos	692	705	Map
Jalisco Cartel New Generation - La Barredora Jalisco Cartel New Generation vs La Barredora	661	9	Map
Caborca Cartel, Sinaloa Cartel - Los Mayos - Sinaloa Cartel - Los Chapitos Caborca Cartel, Sinaloa Cartel - Los Mayos vs Sinaloa Cartel - Los Chapitos	468	–	Map
Cartel Independiente de Acapulco - Los Rusos Cartel Independiente de Acapulco vs Los Rusos	372	31	Map
Los Ardillos - Los Tlacos Los Ardillos vs Los Tlacos	76	–	Map
Jalisco Cartel New Generation - Gulf Cartel - Grupo Sombra faction Jalisco Cartel New Generation vs Gulf Cartel - Grupo Sombra faction	43	–	Map
Jalisco Cartel New Generation, Sangre Nueva Zeta - Los Rojos Jalisco Cartel New Generation, Sangre Nueva Zeta vs Los Rojos	28	–	Map

Military personnel

341,000own armed forces (2020)World Bank / IISS · active + paramilitary

Foreign military personnel in Mexico

United States98

assigned · 31 Aug 2026 · DoD DMDC

Other countries may have forces here; only official, reusable figures are shown.

Other countries with active armed conflicts in Americas

Bolivia Brazil Colombia Costa Rica Ecuador Guatemala Haiti Venezuela

All countries →

Sources and licences

Conflicts and deaths: Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP), ucdp.uu.se/downloads, CC BY 4.0. Data through 30 September 2026.
Military personnel: World Bank, Armed forces personnel, total (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1); original source IISS, The Military Balance; CC BY 4.0.
Foreign military personnel: UN Department of Peace Operations, uniformed personnel contributions (UN Peace and Security Data Hub, via HDX) (as of 31 Jul 2026, CC BY-IGO 3.0); UK Ministry of Defence, Annual Location Statistics, table 1.1b (as of 1 Apr 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0); Ministère des Armées, Les chiffres clés de la Défense 2026, p.20 (État-major des armées, April 2026) (as of Apr 2026, Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0); DoD Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), Location Report (as of 31 Aug 2026, US government work, public domain).
Protests: The GDELT Project, GDELT 2.0 Event Database; automated, unverified.
Links only (nothing copied): CrisisWatch (© International Crisis Group), GOV.UK travel advice (OGL v3.0), U.S. Department of State (public domain), War WATCH (Geneva Academy), ReliefWeb (UN OCHA).

🇲🇽Is there a war in Mexico?

Deaths recorded in Mexico in 2025

The conflicts

Jalisco Cartel New Generation - Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel

Sinaloa Cartel - Los Chapitos - Sinaloa Cartel - Los Mayos

Juarez Cartel - Sinaloa Cartel

Jalisco Cartel New Generation - Sinaloa Cartel

Carteles Unidos - Jalisco Cartel New Generation, Los Blancos de Troya, Los de la Virgen, Los Viagras

7 more conflicts in Mexico

Military personnel

Foreign military personnel in Mexico

Other countries with active armed conflicts in Americas

Sources and licences

Is there a war in Mexico?