Sheinbaum Criticizes Morena Spokesperson Over Crime Jobs Claim

Mexico City, Mexico — President Claudia Sheinbaum described as “very unfortunate” the statements made by Adriana Marín, the digital communications officer for the Morena parliamentary group in the Mexico City Congress, who claimed during a debate that drug trafficking is one of the main job generators nationwide.

During her morning press conference on Friday, January 9, held from Guerrero, the president discredited the data presented by the Morena member.

The young woman stated in a debate on the media outlet “La Razón de México” that “drug trafficking is one of the main and largest employers at the national level and recruits approximately 160,000 to 186,000 people, and in reality, 350 more people per week are needed to cover those who are detained or killed.”

This data was first published in 2023 and emerged from a mathematical model developed by Alejandro Hope, a public security expert; Rafael Prieto-Curiel, a mathematician and researcher; and Gian María Campdelli, an Italian criminologist.

Regarding this, President Claudia Sheinbaum disapproved of what the Morena spokesperson said and discredited the data. “First, very unfortunate statements by this young woman, truly. Second, it’s not the data, of course there is work, especially from the National Intelligence Center on this topic.”

She also stated that “it is not desirable.” “What we do is work so that this does not happen. So that no young person approaches crime assuming it is a life option when in reality it is an option of death or imprisonment, because that is the fate of anyone who joins a criminal group,” expressed the federal leader.

The President of Mexico positioned herself on the topic that has generated controversy on social networks by responding to the question from journalist Judith Sánchez Reyes. The journalist referred to cases of recruitment and disappearances, recalling the findings at Rancho Izaguirre in March 2025 in Jalisco and questioned whether there is an official figure estimating how many people belong to organized crime in the country.

Regarding this, President Claudia Sheinbaum said that information on disappearances will be provided soon and assured that the alert to address reports of missing persons within the first 48 hours is already “functioning.” Additionally, she mentioned that efforts are being made to identify cases of recruitment.

However, the president did not provide an estimate of how many people in Mexico belong to organized crime, nor how many of them do so voluntarily and how many due to forced recruitment.

Controversy on Social Networks

The young woman’s stance was broadcast during an episode of the program “Razonados” on November 19, 2025. During the debate, Adriana Marín referred to the complexity of combating organized crime in Mexico and mentioned that drug trafficking recruits approximately 160,000 to 186,000 people.

At that moment, Luis Eduardo Vega Dulac, general secretary of the National Council of the Youth Network for Mexico, questioned her regarding whether organized crime should continue, “because the government cannot give them jobs.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” responded the young woman. “I mean that it is complex to address the drug trafficking situation, because not only does it have help from the United States, but also because it generates employment, which many private entities and the State have not been responsible for generating,” she explained.

“So, what are you going to do with all those people who were promised money and fame who equally have no hope, because the system has caused them to have no hope?” Marín elaborated.

More than a month later—a few days after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the United States—fragments of the video began circulating on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, unleashing criticism from users against the young woman, along with misogynistic messages and direct threats.

Faced with the uproar on social networks, both the Morena Parliamentary Group in the Mexico City Congress and the party’s national leadership distanced themselves from the comments, arguing that they were “personal” statements by the collaborator and not made on behalf of the political group.