“They Treat Us Very Badly”: Children Recruited by Mexican Cartels Recount Their Experiences

I’m 15 years old. I was recruited by the Jalisco cartel. 

Organized crime stole their childhood. More than 30,000 Mexican children and adolescents have ended up in clandestine recruitment camps. 

They taught us to assemble and disassemble weapons—everything—but with abuse: beatings with boards, physical blows. The military does nothing against them. 

This young man, only 15, says he ended up in the narco ranks because of flyers handed out in his town advertising supposed farm jobs. 

The truth is, they treat us very badly. They keep us without food or water—almost by force. 

This 21-year-old—whose name we won’t reveal for his safety—is one of the few who managed to escape the bowels of this world. 

As for water, you have to drink from a muddy puddle where cows urinate and defecate. 

Reports from the Mexican Secretariat of Public Security state that they have identified the presence of foreigners n organized crime armies. 

Yes, I’ve seen people from various countries—Ukraine, Colombia, even Russians—like a foreign legion. 

Security analysts explain that cartels use war veterans to train their people in the use of drones, long guns, and advanced technology. Cartels have started recruiting people who have—or once had—training or experience on both sides—both Russian and Ukrainian. 

Minors have been involved in violent incidents across the country recently, prompting the President of Mexico to issue a call to parents. The care that we mothers and fathers must take to keep a close watch on our children. 

According to Radim, more than 250,000 children are at risk of recruitment due to their socioeconomic circumstances, which make them easy prey. 

Source: Noticias Telemundo