Baja California Sur opened more than 280 investigation files for sexual crimes during the first three months of 2026, according to the latest Common Crime Incidence Report compiled by state prosecutors. Sexual abuse accounted for 41% of all cases, making it the most reported category in the state.
March proved the most alarming month. Prosecutors recorded 122 sexual offenses in that month alone, a 20% increase compared to March 2025. The breakdown for March included 50 sexual abuse cases, 34 sexual harassment cases, seven simple rape cases, and nine aggravated rape cases.
Privacy Violations and Workplace Harassment Also Reported
The March figures also included 12 cases classified as “violation of sexual privacy,” a relatively new legal category in Mexican law that covers non-consensual sharing of intimate images. Prosecutors opened a second workplace sexual harassment file for the year during the same period.
The first-quarter numbers are consistent with a broader pattern. Across all of 2025, Baja California Sur recorded more than 1,038 sexual crime investigation files. Simple sexual abuse made up the largest share of those cases as well. At the current pace, 2026 is on track to match or exceed that annual total.
Data Is Preliminary but Points to a Growing Trend
Authorities stressed that all figures are preliminary. The data comes from investigation files opened through March 31, 2026, and was reported by state prosecutors as of April 20, 2026. Final numbers could shift as cases are reclassified or consolidated.
Baja California Sur, home to Los Cabos and La Paz, carries a U.S. State Department “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” travel advisory. While the state’s overall violent crime rate remains lower than that of northern Baja California, sexual crime data has trended upward in recent years. A 2023 Statista report noted the overall crime prevalence rate in Baja California Sur rose roughly 8.5% compared to 2022.
The incidence report does not specify where within the state the offenses occurred, nor does it break down cases by municipality. Baja California Sur has five municipalities: Los Cabos, La Paz, Comondú, Mulegé, and Loreto.
The data was first reported by BCS Noticias.