Oaxaca prosecutor reports rise in adolescent crime-related detentions

Reporting and context

Detentions of adolescents linked to retail drug activity and organized crime rose 155 percent in Oaxaca, according to figures cited by NoticiasPV from the state prosecutor's office. Prosecutor Bernardo Rodríguez Alamilla said the data were intended to show the scale of recruitment and support prevention efforts, the outlet reported.

The prosecutor's office recorded that seven in ten children recruited between ages 13 and 14 later die, are deprived of liberty or suffer a permanent disability within six years, according to NoticiasPV. The report said the affected group spans ages 12 to 22, with the highest incidence between 12 and 18. It reported that 90 percent of detained adolescents were male.

Investigators identified the Central Valleys, Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Coast and Sierra Sur as high-incidence regions, the outlet said. It reported that recruitment often begins through acquaintances, free drugs, or online contact through social-media platforms and video games before communication moves to private messaging apps.

NoticiasPV also reported five digital-recruitment rescues during the past year and a half. Two minors were allegedly headed toward Jalisco and suspected CJNG recruitment, while three cases were reportedly bound for the State of Mexico. The outlet cited the Oaxaca prosecutor's office, SEGOB and missing-persons authorities for the figures and claims.