Executive Protection in Mexico

Blackwater Global Protection provides armed close protection and armoured vehicles for executives, families and visiting business travellers in Mexico. We are a Mexican private security company with federal authorisation, based in Zapopan, Jalisco, operating in Guadalajara and nationwide, with more than 20 years in executive protection. We have English-speaking personnel, so the person being protected can speak directly with their detail.

The thing most foreign clients do not know

In Mexico, a large share of the “armed bodyguards” offered on the market cannot legally carry a firearm. Under the Federal Firearms and Explosives Act, carrying requires a licence, and the Secretariat of National Defence (SEDENA) is the only authority that issues one.

There are two lawful routes. An officer can carry as registered personnel of an authorised private security company, under that company’s collective carry licence. Or an individual can hold a personal licence issued to them by SEDENA, which must be justified.

Our officers carry under the company’s collective licence, issued by SEDENA, and each is registered with the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection (SSPC). Every officer carries the specific registered weapon assigned to them, in the places and with the weapon type the licence permits, with current credentials and documentation.

This is not a paperwork detail. If your detail is carrying unlawfully, the exposure falls on the client who hired them — at a checkpoint, during a police stop, or in a real incident. It is the first thing worth verifying about any provider in Mexico, including us.

Who we protect

• Executives and directors travelling to Mexico for business.
• Expatriate staff on assignment, and their families.
• Corporate visitors to plants, sites and operations in higher-risk states.
• Public figures, artists and athletes during events and tours.
• Technical teams and contractors working in exposed locations.

What a detail looks like

1. Risk assessment. Before assigning anyone we assess the actual threat: the principal’s profile, routines, routes, accommodation, and the working and family environment. Without that, a bodyguard is just an armed passenger.

2. Detail design. How many officers, on what shifts, with which vehicles and what communications protocol. This ranges from a single officer covering movements to a 24-hour detail with an armoured vehicle.

3. Assignment. Every officer assigned is registered under our collective licence and with the SSPC. We normally assign within 48 hours of confirmation — the time needed to complete the risk assessment and put the right officer in place with documentation in order.

4. Review. Threat changes. We review the detail and adjust it as the situation develops.

Armoured vehicles

We rent armoured vehicles with a trained security driver, and an armed officer where the case calls for it — by the day, week or month. The fleet is Suburban, Grand Cherokee and BMW X5, armoured to Level V (5), the level built to stop high-powered rifle fire rather than handguns alone.

For a visiting executive this is usually the sensible combination: an armoured vehicle with a security driver who knows the city, plus an armed officer. The journey is normally the exposed part of the day, not the meeting.

Long-term assignments

We are not limited to single days or one-off events. We take long-term assignments — protection for expatriate staff posted to Mexico, executives on extended assignment, and families relocating for a year or more.

A long assignment is a different job from a short one. The detail learns the routines, the routes, the school run and the building, and that familiarity is most of what makes protection effective. It is also more economical: the cost per day on a continuing assignment is considerably lower than on a three-day booking.

If your company is placing someone in Mexico and protection is part of the package, tell us the duration and the location and we will build the detail around it.

Aircraft and medical evacuation

We also operate jets and helicopters, and provide medical evacuation. The aircraft are our own, not subcontracted — operated by a company within the same group holding a current Mexican air operator certificate. Availability depends on our schedule rather than on finding a third-party operator when you need one.

For a foreign executive this matters in two situations. The first is movement: multi-city itineraries in a day, access to remote sites, or a departure that should not appear on a commercial passenger list. The second is the one nobody plans for — a medical emergency or a sudden need to leave an area. We can put a protected principal on an aircraft with medical personnel aboard, coordinated by the same team running the ground detail.

We also provide paramedics and ground ambulances for events and operations, under the same coordination as the security team. In a real emergency that avoids the most common failure: two providers who have never worked together making decisions at the same time.

Coverage

We operate from Zapopan, Jalisco, cover Guadalajara and the metropolitan area, and provide service throughout Mexico, including travel outside the home state.

What drives the cost

We do not publish rates, because there is no single rate — the cost of a protection detail depends on the threat, and that is assessed case by case. What moves the price is the number of officers, the hours of coverage, the length of the assignment, whether an armoured vehicle is required, the city and any out-of-state travel, and the level of risk. We complete the risk assessment first and then give you a fixed quote.

Frequently asked questions

Can your bodyguards legally carry firearms in Mexico?
Yes. Our officers carry under Blackwater Global Protection’s collective carry licence issued by SEDENA, and each is registered with the SSPC, carrying the registered weapon assigned to them with current credentials.

Do you have English-speaking security personnel?
Yes. We assign English-speaking officers for foreign executives so the principal can communicate directly with their detail rather than through an intermediary.

How quickly can you assign a bodyguard in Mexico?
Normally within 48 hours of confirmation. That time covers the risk assessment and assigning an officer whose documentation and carry authorisation are in order. If your situation will not wait, call us and we will review it.

How much does executive protection in Mexico cost?
It depends on the number of officers, hours of coverage, length of assignment, whether an armoured vehicle is needed, and the level of risk. We do not work from a single published rate; we complete a risk assessment and issue a fixed quote.

Can I hire an armoured car with a driver only, without a bodyguard?
Yes. Armoured vehicles are rented with a trained security driver as standard. An armed officer is optional and quoted separately.

Do you cover cities outside Guadalajara?
Yes. We are based in Zapopan, Jalisco and operate throughout Mexico, including assignments that involve travel between states.

Do you take long-term assignments?
Yes. We cover expatriate staff posted to Mexico, executives on extended assignment and relocating families, for months at a time — not only single days or events. The cost per day on a continuing assignment is considerably lower than on a short booking.

To discuss a protection detail or an armoured vehicle, call +52 33 3685 8011 or +52 335 130 7944.