Guerrero offers reward for seven missing people
Original reporting: El Diario de Juárez
What happened
Guerrero prosecutors are offering 1.5 million pesos for information on seven people reported missing from El Balcón after an alleged abduction involving eight men, including a child who was later released. Authorities and residents dispute claims about the victims’ alleged criminal ties.
Reporting and context
Mexico's Guerrero state prosecutor is offering 1.5 million pesos for information leading to the recovery of seven people reported missing from the El Balcón community in Ajuchitlán del Progreso.
According to the Fiscalía General del Estado, the reward is part of an investigation into the alleged disappearance of private individuals. The agency said eight men, including a 12-year-old boy, were taken on Sept. 24 while traveling to their farmland; the child was released on Oct. 1, leaving seven people still missing.
Authorities in El Balcón told local media that members of the Familia Michoacana were responsible and were seeking control of the area and its natural resources. The Diario de Juárez reported that a video showed six of the seven missing people handcuffed and wearing olive-green clothing, with claims that they belonged to Los Granados, a rival group. Residents said five of those shown were their neighbors but disputed both the clothing and any connection to organized crime. The case remains under investigation, and the prosecutor's office has not announced the location of the seven people.