Confessions of a Hitman: The Recruitment of ‘El Mawicho’ and CJNG Military Training

This is the story of how a young man, barely 21 years old, went from being a petty thief to becoming part of a cell within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The account of Mauricio Iram Suárez Álvarez—alias “Mawicho”—details the process that, according to his own testimony, led him to join the ranks of the CJNG. 

Here is his story. In 2018, weary of the troubles he faced in the criminal underworld and after receiving an offer in Mexico City’s Moctezuma neighborhood, he agreed to travel to a ranch near Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco—specifically the Izaguirre ranch—to begin training for the criminal group. 

However, reality proved vastly different from the image he had formed based on “narco-culture.” From his very first night there, he witnessed people being held captive and, by his own account, was forced to participate in dismembering bodies to learn how to dispose of evidence. 

That moment marked the beginning of his training. Over the following week, he underwent military-style discipline and preparation. According to his testimony, Colombian instructors—who identified themselves as former guerrillas—taught new recruits how to handle long guns and execute combat tactics, including movement during firefights, ambushes, fire control, and survival strategies for armed operations. 

The training also covered the use of explosive-laden drones and preparation for operating in CJNG-controlled territories. Discipline within the camp was strict; maintaining order was mandatory, and any infraction could result in physical punishment. 

Mahuicho stated that the ranch housed young men from various states across the country. Some, he noted, had arrived through forced recruitment or to escape violence in their home communities, whereas he admitted to joining voluntarily, driven by a desire to belong to the cartel. 

Upon completing his training, he was assigned to the Deltas unit in Zapopan, an armed cell of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. There, according to his account, he took part in kidnappings and operations in which members posed as prosecutors’ office agents to storm homes, capture their targets, and transport them to safe houses, where they were interrogated under torture and, in many cases, killed. 

Furthermore, his testimony reflects how the recruitment model has evolved over time. While it once relied primarily on personal contacts, criminal organizations now also use social media and fake job offers to lure young people and expand their ranks. What do you think? To what extent does the normalization of narco-culture influence who joins these groups?

Sources: Milenio, Cartel Insider Archives