Northern Veracruz is solidifying its status as one of the state’s most critical zones in 2026. Regions such as Poza Rica, Tihuatlán, Papantla, and Álamo Temapache remain under constant alert due to a high incidence of intentional homicides that offers the population no respite.
The most recent violent incident occurred on the afternoon of Friday, May 22, in Poza Rica.
An armed attack at a beer distributor located in Plaza Garibaldi—within the Manuel Ávila Camacho neighborhood—left two people dead, triggering a massive police mobilization and sparking fear among local merchants.
Although state security authorities do not publish crime rates broken down by individual municipality, federal figures reflect the true magnitude of the crisis.
The Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP) consistently ranks the state of Veracruz among the top ten states with the highest number of murders nationwide.
Stark Statistics:
In April alone, the state recorded 88 victims of intentional homicide, with a significant portion of these cases concentrated in the municipalities of the northern zone.
This wave of criminality has compelled state and federal forces to deploy continuous security operations in key localities such as:
Tihuatlán
Papantla
Álamo Temapache
Tuxpan
Official Decline vs. Public Perception
Official rhetoric and the reality on the streets reveal a stark contradiction. While federal and state authorities report a “sustained, long-term decline” compared to previous years, public perception is radically different.
Residents of northern Veracruz point to a surge in the brazenness of criminal groups, arguing that armed attacks are no longer confined to the outskirts but now occur in bustling commercial districts—and even in the immediate vicinity of schools—completely shattering the region’s daily tranquility.
Source: imagendelgolfo
