Criminal recruitment of minors rises in Mexico

Criminal organizations in Mexico are increasingly recruiting children and adolescents, creating a profound social crisis. In the state of Veracruz, data from the Network for the Rights of Children in Mexico (REDIM) indicates that allegations against adolescents for crimes related to organized crime rose from 56 cases between 2017 and 2023 to 265 cases. During the administration of Governor Cuitláhuac García Jiménez, Veracruz emerged as one of the ten entities with the highest estimated incidence of adolescent recruitment.

Anthropologist Elena Azaola Garrido warns that approximately 40,000 children and adolescents are estimated to be collaborating with organized crime groups. She notes a fatal cycle involving forced recruitment, disappearances, and homicides. Between 2020 and 2024, over 7,000 minors disappeared, while 46,000 young adults aged 19 to 29 also vanished, many of whom are presumed to have been recruited by criminal groups.

As these groups expand their territorial control, their criminal activities have diversified beyond drug trafficking and human trafficking to include extortion, kidnapping, vehicle theft, and fuel theft. Azaola emphasizes the need for a national agreement to address the issue, noting that authorities often lack the capacity or will to stem the flow of recruitment.