Mexican Senate Approves Anti-Extortion Law
Citizens protest against extortion. Photo: Saeg Security.
November 20, 2025 Hour: 12:32 pm
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The new norm obligates authorities to protect victims and witnesses.
On Wednesday night, the Mexican Senate approved the Law to Prevent, Investigate and Punish Crimes Related to Extortion. The new norm was passed unanimously with 110 votes in favor.
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In order to seek legal uniformity throught the country, the law modifies five legal codes, including the Federal Penal Code, the National Code of Criminal Procedure, the Federal Law Against Organized Crime, the National Law on Extinction of Ownership, and the Organic Law of the Federal Judiciary.
A gender “perspective” was incorporated into Articles 3, 33, and 41 to address the hardships of extortion victims, while Article 17 clarifies that penalties will be increased when electronic devices, services, or platforms are used to “transmit information, voice, data, images, or sounds.”
The Senate instructed that the law be returned to the Chamber of Deputies. Enrique Cazarez, the president of the Legislative Studies Commission, warned that extortion is expanding due to the use of technology and corruption that turns prisons into “centers of operation.”
The text reads, “In October 2025, Mexico reached its lowest homicide rate in eight years. High-impact crimes also decreased (-46%), including kidnapping (-59%), robbery with violence (-48%), and femicide (-25%). The national strategy against extortion reduced this crime by 14% in three months.”
The law mandates that prosecutors’ offices have units, police officers, analysts, and prosecutors trained in the investigation of extortion cases. It also increases penalties from 15 to 25 years, and sanctions public officials who fail to report crimes with 10 to 20 years in prison.
These reforms protect victims and witnesses, obligating authorities to adopt protective measures during all stages of the proceedings. According to the National Public Security System, 10,804 victims of extortion were registered in 2024.
The initiative was submitted by President Claudia Sheinbaum on October 20 to unify the prosecution of this crime. Until now, each Mexican state had its own sanctions against extortion, which made it difficult to combat this crime and favored impunity.
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE
