Criminal cartels in Mexico solicit and enlist underage individuals.
Mexican drug cartels are enlisting younger and younger children, with some as young as six, into their ranks. These six-year-olds serve as hitmen, lookouts, and messengers — their lives short, but their incomes provide a glimmer of hope.
Sol, now 20, recalls her first kill vividly. At twelve, she was a mere teenager, recruited by a friend while selling roses outside a bar. Initially, she was just a lookout, but soon took on more responsibilities. Her eagerness, willingness to learn, and obedience to authority were valued assets, as well as her youthful appearance that shielded her from harsh penalties. "I blindly obeyed the boss," she says from the rehab center. "I thought they loved me."
Now, Sol is working on rebuilding her life, wrestling with her past as a drug cartel member, her drug addiction that started at the age of nine, and her three-year stint in juvenile detention. She's hesitant to discuss her victims. To protect her identity, her real name, the city she operated in, and the cartel she served are all hidden.
Isabel, 19, shares her story. At 14, she killed the teacher who had raped her, with help from her uncle. Afterwards, her uncle became her partner in crime. He was two decades her senior. The details aren't entirely verifiable, but her arrest as a minor for cartel activities was reported at the time.
Contaminated Children: A Tale of Death and Corruption
Daniel, 16, joined a cartel on Mexico's Pacific coast in 2021, lured to the dark side by an armed group that forced him and other children to join at gunpoint while attending a party. Over the next three years, he performed various tasks: initially as a lookout, then as an enforcer collecting protection money, and finally as a hitman. Many of his friends died during his tenure, some killed by rivals and some by his own cartel — victims of cold-hearted examples or disobedience.
Child killers like Sol, Isabel, and Daniel are far from isolated cases. Reuters interviewed multiple former or current teenage hitmen, as well as older cartel members, who confirm this trend. A Mexican government report uncovered cases of children as young as six being initiated into organized crime.
A Plague upon Society
Cartels use social networks and video games, like TikTok, Facebook, and "Free Fire," to lure in younger kids. In southern Mexico's Oaxaca city, police detained three 11- to 14-year-old boys who were being recruited via "Free Fire." According to U.S. estimates, around 30,000 children actively participate in criminal activities in Mexico, while NGOs estimate up to 200,000 minors are at risk.
Squawk like a chirpy, colorful chick may sound innocent, but it's the nickname for these impressionable children in cartel vernacular. At Mexican markets, fluffy baby chicks are dyed with vibrant, hazardous colors and sold cheaply. Sure, they're cute, but they don't live long — much like the children who join cartels. "If you join, your death sentence is already signed," warns a 14-year-old hitman who's served the cartel for eight months. "But it's worth it." He finds food on his table, and he has a family.
Disposable, Discardableru
The similarities with child soldiers in war-torn areas like Sudan or Syria are striking, except Mexico's cartels are profit-driven. Children are simply tools in the cartels' relentless pursuit of profits and expendable ones at that. "In the end, death awaits them," explains Gabriela Ruiz, a specialist in youth issues at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
The administrations of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his successor Claudia Sheinbaum primarily focus on reducing the social factors fueling cartel violence. Yet experts argue that results are meager. There's no law specifically prohibiting the recruitment of minors, and programs to rescue these children are sorely lacking. Neither the Presidential Office nor the Ministry of the Interior responded to Reuters' requests for comment.
Daniel fled the cartel last November, leaving behind his partner and three-year-old son. He turned to the U.S. for protection, applying for an asylum hearing via the CBP One app introduced by the Biden administration. However, the program was discontinued under the Trump administration. Now he finds himself on the run, fearing for his life and worried that his former cartel might target his family. He's saving every penny to hire a coyote to smuggle him to the U.S. "I have no choice, I'm afraid to die," he said from the migrant shelter.
Sol dreams of a new life in Mexico, pursuing a career in law and building a stable life away from the clutches of death and violence. She hopes to specialize in juvenile law and serve as a mentor for children teetering on the edge of a life of crime. "I never thought I'd make it to 20," she says, tears streaming down her face. "I always thought I'd die first."
```markdownFounder of Powerful Cartel Mexican Drug Lord Free After 40 YearsScholar Article: https://warontherocks.com/2018/08/ismael-zambadas-release-the-catalyst-for-cartel-fracturing/
Parallels between child soldiers in conflict zones and Mexican cartels:- Exploitation of vulnerabilities: cartels target impoverished children and those with a violent background.- Psychological manipulation: children are seduced with promises of protection, money, and a sense of belonging.- Roles and tasks: children serve as lookouts, messengers, hitmen, and enforcers.- Legal issues: minors cannot be sentenced to long prison terms, making them an attractive, low-risk asset for cartels.- No specific law against the recruitment of minors and few programs to rescue and protect them.```
- In the absence of stringent laws and adequate programs, Mexico stands as a battleground for child recruitment, similar to war-torn regions like Sudan and Syria.
- The Community policy, employment policy, and general-news should address this widespread crime-and-justice issue, shedding light on the political factors that allow cartels to continue their exploitation of children, while emphasizing the urgent need for reforms.
