Criminal recruitment of minors in Mexico and Honduras drives reform demands

In Mexico, federal authorities seized a suspected recruitment camp of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) in Zapopan, Jalisco, detaining six armed individuals. Studies cited by the NGO Reinserta indicate that seven out of ten detained adolescents had undergone training, many performed sicariato, and half were recruited by friends. Reinserta urges Mexico to recognize the recruitment of children and adolescents as an autonomous crime and to develop comprehensive public policies and prevention tools.

In Honduras, public secondary schools have become targets for gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS‑13) and Pandilla 18, which extort, traffic drugs, and force minors into violent roles. The infiltration of classrooms has led to internal displacement of families and is described as a humanitarian and security crisis. Officials stress the need for inter‑institutional interventions, security deployment in schools, and measures that address poverty and social exclusion to protect children from forced recruitment.