Recruited at Gunpoint: How the Chapitos Exploit the Vulnerable

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Mazatlán, Sinaloa—Two men sit slumped against a jagged rock face, their hands bound, their faces hollow with fear. Captured in a chilling interrogation video released by a faction loyal to Mayito Flaco, son of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the footage lays bare how the Chapitos exploit vulnerable men from rehabilitation centers—places meant to heal—only to thrust them into cartel wars as cannon fodder.

For the captives, José Luis Velasquez Alvarado, alias “Sonrix,” and José de Jesús, alias “El Chore,” it is a grim confession under duress. For Mayito Flaco’s faction, it is propaganda—a calculated move to discredit their rivals by exposing their reliance on forced recruitment.

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The Interrogation Video

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The Transcript

Below is the full transcript of the interrogation. Special thanks to Sol Prendido for transcribing and translating the video.

Sicario: What’s your name?

Captive #1: José Luis Velasquez Alvarado.

Sicario: What’s your alias?

Captive #1: Sonrix.

Sicario: Which rehab center were you snatched up from?

Captive #1: The “Tú Puedes” center in the Valle del Ejido neighborhood of Mazatlán.

Sicario: What’s the director’s name?

Captive #1: Manuel Torres.

Sicario: How many individuals were taken out of there?

Captive #1: A total of four persons. It was Plu, Panayco, Radio, and me.

Sicario: What vehicles were you guys taken away in?

Captive #1: They had a Jeep Cherokee and a white van that everyone was loaded into.

Sicario: How many individuals were inside each vehicle?

Captive #1: I saw two individuals, but the other vehicle had tinted windows. So, it looked like there were more persons inside of it.

Sicario: What were their names?

Captive #1: There was an individual in the vehicle that everyone referred to as Pelón. He was a tall person. The other person had long hair and was chubby.

Sicario: Where were you guys taken?

Captive #1: They loaded up the van with groups of people, I’d say about 30 individuals. And we were taken to the town of El Verde. We stayed there at a white house for several days and then were taken to Santa Catarina. From there, we were taken to another town. But I don’t know where exactly this town is. Our transport there was on a dually truck to the town of San Marcos. Afterwards, we were taken to the town of La Capilla del Taxte.

Sicario: What’s your name?

Captive #2: José de Jesús, sir.

Sicario: What’s your alias?

Captive #2: El Chore.

Sicario: Which rehab center were you removed from?

Captive #2: (unintelligible)

Sicario: Where’s it located?

Captive #2: It’s on the 20 de Noviembre Avenue.

Sicario: What’s the director’s name?

Captive #2: There’s Director Payaz and Tony.

Sicario: How many people were abducted?

Captive #2: Just me. There were 17 of us in total. But the rest are considered as code 65. Meaning, they’re of no use to them.

Sicario: What vehicles were used to take you guys away?

Captive #2: They had a white Jeep Cherokee and a white van.

Sicario: How many gunmen were in each vehicle?

Captive #2: I only saw the two individuals who entered the premises and the two who were in the van.

Sicario: What were their aliases?

Captive #2: One of them was known as El Pelón. He’s dark-skinned and had a beard. The other person was chubby and had long hair. I believe they called him El 30.

Sicario: Where were you guys taken to afterward?

Captive #1: We first traveled to the town of El Verde…

Mica’s Analysis

The Chapitos’ tactics follow a now-familiar pattern: targeting vulnerable men in rehabilitation centers, abducting them in unmarked vans, and transporting them to rural hideouts before forcing them into combat. This process is as pragmatic as it is brutal, stripping these individuals of their humanity and turning them into disposable assets in the cartel’s relentless war for dominance.

Yet their exact motive remains unclear. If the Chapitos were truly desperate for manpower, they wouldn’t have been on the offensive over the weekend, demonstrating their ability to maintain pressure on rival factions. It’s possible these abductions serve a dual purpose: low-cost recruitment and clearing space in rehab facilities for their own members to recover or hide out (as we just learned).

The chilling similarity to a previous case involving “Chino” and “El Ranfle” is hard to ignore. In that story, documented in “Recruited at Gunpoint: How Chapitos’ Wars Exploit the Vulnerable”, the Chapitos abducted men from Mazatlán rehab centers under eerily similar circumstances. Like Sonrix and El Chore, these men were transported through rural compounds, given minimal training, and used as disposable soldiers. The continuity between these cases suggests a coordinated strategy, not isolated incidents.

This isn’t merely desperation—it’s calculated strategy. The Chapitos are exploiting every available resource in their pursuit of power. This is chess, not checkers—the kind of war where every move is designed to maximize advantage and ensure survival. Or maybe it’s not strategy at all. Maybe they’re simply savages—hunting, killing, and enslaving—driven by one brutal, unrelenting goal: drug money. Because in the end, that’s what this is really all about.