Women dominate Mexico City prison smuggling arrests over five years

Over the past five years, women have made up the vast majority of those arrested for smuggling contraband into Mexico City’s prisons. Data shows 85.7% of detentions involved female suspects between 2021 and 2025. Security expert David Saucedo attributes this trend to the predominantly male inmate population, with many offenders being relatives or partners of prisoners. In 2021, two women were caught attempting to smuggle marijuana into the North Men’s Preventive Detention Center. The following year, four women and one man were apprehended for trying to bring marijuana, alcohol, and ammunition into the same facility.

In 2023, arrests increased. One woman was detained at the North facility with marijuana, while three others were caught at the East Detention Center with the same drug and a granular substance. Later that year, 11 women and one man were stopped at the East Detention Center with marijuana, cocaine, and pills.

By 2024, two more women were arrested—one at the North facility and another at the East—both carrying marijuana. In 2025, four women were caught with marijuana and a knife at Mexico City’s Penitentiary, while another woman was detained at the North Detention Center with marijuana and solvents.

Overall, from 2021 to 2025, 35 people were detained for attempting to smuggle banned items, including drugs, weapons, cash, energy drinks, or alcohol. Of these, 30 were women, three were men, and two cases had unspecified genders. The figures highlight a clear pattern in prison contraband cases. Women consistently represent the majority of detentions, often linked to personal connections with inmates. Authorities continue to monitor and address the issue across detention centres in the capital.