The motives behind joining organized crime can be complex. From growing up in poverty to a lack of opportunities in their communities, many people in Mexico believe joining a criminal organization is their only path to improving their lives.
According to a new investigation by the College of Mexico, when it comes to women involved in organized crime, their participation is commonly driven either by romantic relationships with cartel members or by the pursuit of a better socioeconomic status.
According to the investigation, cited by Milenio, the hypothesis that most women enter organized crime to maintain a romantic relationship is based on a qualitative and quantitative analysis of TikTok videos in which women are drawn to "the representation of traits associated with a criminal identity" and, more importantly, to being in a relationship with someone involved in organized crime.
The study also found that videos shared by criminal organizations normalize romantic relationships with cartel members. Many of the videos also reference infidelity.
Milenio cited the femicide of influencer Valeria Márquez as one example. The Guadalajara-based influencer was shot and killed inside her beauty salon in May 2025 while livestreaming and talking to her followers.
According to reports, hours before her death, Márquez posted a story on social media showing off an expensive gift she had received from an unidentified person. Later, a man posing as a delivery driver arrived at the salon and shot her multiple times in the chest and head, killing her at the scene.
U.S. authorities said Márquez had been in a relationship with Ricardo Ruiz Velasco, also known as "El Doble R," an alleged plaza boss for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). They say the motive behind the killing could have been driven by infidelity, although Mexican officials have said El Doble R has not been officially linked to having a relationship with Márquez and the case continues to be investigated.
The College of Mexico's analysis found that many of the TikTok videos it reviewed featured a song by regional Mexican group Los Alegres del Barranco that references El Doble R.
"Most of the videos following this trend were shared by young women, who simply recorded themselves making the number four hand gesture associated with the Jalisco cartel while using the same song in the background," the investigation states.
Another major factor identified by the institute was the hope of achieving a better life through criminal activity.
According to the College of Mexico, women are manipulated into joining criminal organizations through promises of a better future for themselves and their families.
One of the videos highlighted in the study featured the caption, "What would you do for your mother?" alongside a screenshot of a conversation in which a woman asked a criminal organization for a job.
That single video received more than 205,300 likes, 868 comments, 16,000 saves and 4,350 shares, the investigation noted.
"The message seeks to portray the decisions people make when faced with a lack of resources, presenting the financial gains from choosing a criminal path as a horizon of economic opportunity," the university said.
The increasing participation of women in organized crime is nothing new. Journalist and security analyst David Saucedo said last year that several factors have contributed to this trend, including the arrest of male cartel members and ongoing violent disputes with rival groups. With a growing need to fill secondary roles such as logistics, storage, drug processing and the management of local operations, criminal groups increasingly turned to women.
Last year, data from Mexico's Secretariat of National Defense showed that the number of women arrested for crimes linked to organized crime increased by 124% over the previous 12 years.
Arrests for drug-related and associated offenses rose from 631 in 2012 to 1,413 in 2024. Between January and August of last year, authorities reported 1,737 arrests of women for those crimes.
