Mexico’s success in taming sky-high murder rates has sparked widespread acclaim of the country’s security minister, boosting his standing as a presidential frontrunner.

Since assuming the role in 2024, Omar García Harfuch has overseen a drop in the country’s homicides, a decrease driven by greater intelligence sharing and professionalization of the ministry.

That success — as well as surviving his own murder attempt — has sparked a nationwide infatuation of Harfuch, which includes merchandise and popular ballads praising him.

Though some analysts have questioned the security ministry’s data, polls suggest Harfuch has become one of the country’s most popular politicians. “What we’re seeing is the making of an icon,” a security expert told The Wall Street Journal.