Mexico lacks official data on minor recruitment by organized crime

Experts are warning that Mexico lacks an official registry to determine how many children and adolescents are being recruited by criminal organizations. This data gap hinders the ability to design effective prevention policies and accurately assess the scale of the problem.

The Universidad Iberoamericana's Citizen Security Program noted that recruitment occurs in both rural and urban areas. Criminal groups increasingly use social media platforms, such as TikTok, to attract minors through false job offers, promises of money, and a sense of belonging.

While not exclusively linked to recruitment, statistics highlight the extreme vulnerability of minors: between 2020 and 2024, 6,837 deaths were recorded due to aggression against individuals aged 0 to 17. Furthermore, as of June 2026, the National Registry of Disappeared and Unlocated Persons reported that 18,104 minors remained missing.