Mexican legislators call for action on criminal recruitment and missing persons

Mexican lawmakers are calling for increased government action to combat criminal recruitment and support families searching for missing persons. Federal Deputy Noemí Luna warned that recent legislative reforms to the General Law for the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Trafficking in Persons will be insufficient unless accompanied by decisive enforcement and investigations.

Luna cited Inter-American Commission on Human Rights data indicating that at least 30,000 minors are involved in organized crime activities, with up to 250,000 at high risk of recruitment through social media, video games, and false job offers. She emphasized the need to address the root causes, such as poverty and lack of educational opportunities.

In the State of Mexico, PAN leader Anuar Azar Figueroa is demanding the allocation of public resources to assist collectives of mothers and fathers searching for disappeared children and youth. He criticized the current lack of institutional support, which forces families to conduct searches in dangerous conditions without adequate tools or protection.