Mexican drug cartels are increasingly recruiting children as young as six, exploiting their vulnerability and immunity from harsh legal consequences, according to a recent investigation.
The report, based on interviews with current and former child cartel members and older operatives, describes how minors are drawn in by promises of status, income, and belonging.
Many of these children, often raised in violent, drug-ridden environments, are quickly groomed for roles ranging from lookouts to killers. "You join with your death sentence already signed," said a 14-year-old child hitman interviewed by Reuters. "But it's worth it," the interviewee added, noting that cartel life offered food and a sense of family.
The use of minors is not incidental. "These kids are disposable," said Gabriela Ruiz, who works at Mexico's National Autonomous University. Their age protects them from severe punishment, making them ideal recruits. Some, like Sol, now 20, began killing at age 12. "I obeyed the boss blindly," she told Reuters. "I thought they loved me."
According to the U.S. Bureau of International Labor Affairs, an estimated 30,000 children are involved in criminal groups in Mexico, and advocacy groups warn that up to 200,000 are vulnerable to recruitment. A Mexican government report into the cartel recruitment of children published last year found minors as young as six have joined organized crime, highlighting the growing use of technology, like video games and social media, to draw in young recruits.
Platforms like TikTok have featured videos of young people voluntarily pledging to join cartels, particularly the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). In one video reported by Milenio, a 21-year-old declared: "I am going to work as a sicario... Nobody is forcing me." Authorities have since removed such content and arrested 49 individuals linked to these campaigns. CJNG operatives reportedly used ranches for confinement and training.
Beyond traditional violence, cartels are expanding into cybercrime. As reported by InSight Crime, they are recruiting cybersecurity and AI specialists to build encrypted systems, mine cryptocurrency, and conduct phishing attacks. According to Mexican military sources, CJNG-linked hackers attempted to infiltrate state security and oil company networks, prompting daily defenses against cyberattacks.
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