Organized crime has permeated Puebla society. The presence of various cartels has exploited one of society’s most vulnerable sectors: children and adolescents, recruiting them into illicit activities and plunging them into a life of violence.
The federal government has focused its attention on Puebla, as it is one of the states where this problem has been detected, reflected in the increase in cases of minors facing charges for crimes.
The study “Strategic Mechanism of the Recruitment and Use of Children and Adolescents by Criminal Groups and Organized Crime in High-Crime Areas in Mexico,” prepared by the Ministry of the Interior during the previous administration, indicated that 18 states are prone to having their children recruited by criminal groups.
The state of Puebla was included on the list because, according to information from the federal agency, it has a presence of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the Sinaloa Cartel, as well as splinter groups of Los Zetas and the Beltrán Leyva organization, in addition to local criminal groups.
According to the document, the city of Puebla is the only municipality considered to have a high incidence of child recruitment by organized crime.
It also states that organized crime groups divide children into roles based on their age, with those between 6 and 12 years old being used as messengers, lookouts, transporters of illicit substances, and recruiters of other children for sexual exploitation.
Those between the ages of 13 and 17 are often used for digital extortion, robbery with or without violence, drug production and sales, kidnapping, contract killings, and the disappearance of bodies.
Crimes committed by minors on the rise in Puebla
During 2025, Puebla registered a 37.6 percent increase in the number of minors under precautionary measures for having committed a crime, according to the National Population Statistics report on Adolescents under precautionary measures, including custodial and non-custodial sentences and conditional suspension of proceedings, from the Federal Ministry of Security and Citizen Protection.
The data indicates that there were 131 cases last year, a higher number than the 96 recorded in 2024, placing the state of Puebla 18th nationwide.
The figures presented above show an increase in the number of incidents in which adolescents and children have been involved in criminal activities, a growing problem.
Among the states that also experienced a significant increase in this area is Nuevo León, with a 107 percent rise, from 255 to 528 minors under precautionary or disciplinary measures.
Other states that also saw an increase include Coahuila, with an 88.2 percent rise, from 51 to 96; Hidalgo saw a 31.5 percent increase, rising from 57 to 75 incidents, and Guanajuato an 18.9 percent increase, going from 264 to 314 incidents.
Factors
Professor Valente Tallabs González, from the Faculty of Political Science and Government at the Popular Autonomous University of Puebla (UPAEP), pointed out that there are both personal and structural factors that make minors more likely to become involved with organized crime.
On an individual level, the academic noted that in some cases, young people decide to become involved with criminal groups in search of a sense of identity and acceptance, in addition to economic factors and the desire to earn “easy” money.
Among the structural factors, Tallabs González pointed to socioeconomic status, job insecurity, impunity, and the normalization of narco-culture through various media.
“The cultural factor is crucial because it normalizes these types of activities; we stop seeing them as wrong because they are everywhere. It is the infamous narco-culture that, in a way, privileges the easy life,” he stated.
Given this situation, the academic considered it important to strengthen all the environments in which children and adolescents develop, starting with the family and the school.
He explained that previously, the family unit was a pillar for instilling values in young people; however, we currently live in a more individualistic society.
He explained that in most cases, recruitment occurs through someone the minor trusts, leading to contact with criminal groups.
He also stressed the importance of the government strengthening public policies that promote social cohesion and thereby prevent juvenile delinquency.
Raising Awareness Is Essential
In this regard, Andrés Villegas Mendoza, Chairman of the State Congress’s Public Security Commission, deemed it fundamental to conduct awareness-raising efforts among minors regarding the negative repercussions of becoming involved in illicit activities.
“A life of crime lasts four to six years—no longer. They enter with false hopes and under false pretenses; they last four or six years, and if they don’t end up dead, they end up on the run,” he stated.
Villegas Mendoza pointed out that there is another side to the coin: instances where recruitment doesn’t occur with consent, but is instead carried out by force.
This situation is acknowledged by the Ministry of the Interior (Segob) itself, which notes that there are currently no clear legal frameworks allowing for appropriate action when children and adolescents commit a crime in which they were forced to participate.
“The problem of how to adjudicate crimes committed by children and adolescents who are victims of forced recruitment presents complex ambiguities; the inherent contradiction in prosecuting illicitly recruited minors as criminal offenders for the very crimes of which they were victims constitutes one of the primary difficulties in addressing their legal liability,” states the Strategic Mechanism for the Recruitment and Utilization of Children and Adolescents by Criminal Groups and Organized Crime.
Against this backdrop, Andrés Villegas highlighted that last September, he submitted a legislative initiative to the local Congress to amend the Penal Code and criminalize forced recruitment, establishing prison sentences ranging from eight to 15 years.
In this regard, it is worth noting that in cases where individuals forcibly recruited by criminal groups are minors, the applicable penalties would be increased by half, potentially resulting in prison terms of up to 22 and a half years. He stated that the initiative aims to establish legal instruments that provide the relevant authorities with a legal framework to take action against those who seek to coerce men and women into participating in criminal activity.
Overview
Cases of minors being recruited by organized crime groups have been reported in Puebla; the most recent involved 17-year-old Brayan “N,” who participated in the murder of three young people on February 14 outside the *Sala de Despecho* bar.
The triple homicide was attributed to a group known as *La Barredora*, which is linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Similarly, in early September 2025, the disappearance of 12 young people was reported in Amozoc; 11 of them were subsequently located following efforts by the authorities.
According to investigations, the individuals were allegedly abducted after being deceived by the twelfth person—who promised to secure them employment—but who, in reality, sought to force them to join an alleged criminal organization.
Source: Milenio
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