The problem of forced recruitment by organized crime is once again rocking Mexico. Paúl Alexander and Carlos Alejandro, both 16, disappeared in May 2025 in Jalisco and were found dead on July 14 in the community of El Pozo, Culiacán, Sinaloa.
Two teenagers found dead in Sinaloa
According to the Attorney General’s Office investigation, the minors were allegedly contacted through social media by members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), taken to Zacatecas to receive weapons training, then taken to Nayarit and finally to Sinaloa, where they participated in an armed confrontation.
Testimonies from young people who have managed to escape this criminal network confirm that at least four people reported missing in Jalisco are currently being forced recruitment in the same area.
Jalisco, epicenter of missing minors
According to official figures, Jalisco has a total of 15,838 missing persons, of which 702 cases correspond to the year to date.
The University Committee for the Analysis of Missing Persons at the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) warned that cases of adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 are increasing, and that a large part of these disappearances are linked to criminal recruitment.
The Strategic Coordinator of Security, Roberto Alarcón, acknowledged that since the start of the current administration, 65 cases of minors recruited by criminal organizations have been identified.
Charges against authorities
The case has exposed possible links between authorities and organized crime. Three police officers from Tala are facing charges for allegedly handing a young man over to the CJNG (National Criminal Investigation Unit), while the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office is investigating 12 public officials for alleged omissions and malpractice in the investigations. So far, no one has been charged.
Source: msn
