The New York Times published a report and interview with Mexico's Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch, portraying him as an effective and loyal official to President Claudia Sheinbaum. The positive coverage aligns with praise from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Mexico's security efforts. The piece highlights García Harfuch as Sheinbaum's natural successor amid widespread concern over insecurity in the country.
Last Friday, The New York Times published a report and interview with Omar García Harfuch, Mexico's Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection. From Palacio Nacional's viewpoint, this coverage in the largest-circulation U.S. newspaper is a resounding success, depicting García Harfuch as an impeccable, effective, disciplined, and loyal official to President Sheinbaum. The interview was amicable, without overly uncomfortable questions.
Almost simultaneously, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that “the government of Mexico is doing more on security right now than ever in its history.” This positive visibility bolsters Sheinbaum's administration against White House rhetorical attacks, including veiled threats of unilateral U.S. military action on Mexican soil.
Yet, García Harfuch's prominence stands out: the report notes he is 'widely' seen as Sheinbaum's natural successor. In normal democracies, security officials instinctively avoid gaining independent political weight, favoring low-profile or strictly technical figures. Historical examples include Vladimir Putin in Russia, Hugo Chávez in Venezuela, and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Egypt, who became authoritarian leaders.
García Harfuch has risen under the Fourth Transformation (4T), in a Mexico with relative political stability but a catastrophic criminal crisis. Insecurity concerns 64% of Mexicans per INEGI, far ahead of health at 35%. For a 2030 presidential bid, he faces risks: scaling local successes nationally, where homicides dropped 18% in 2025 via arrests of violence generators, but issues like disappearances and extortion persist. He must also balance firm action against criminal networks shielded by mayors and governors from his own coalition, without alienating the establishment.
Genaro García Luna's story, the last 'super cop' with crime ties, illustrates these perils: his expensive Federal Police underperformed, harboring a reviled espionage apparatus. Hopes are that García Harfuch's path benefits Mexico's police institutions differently.
