Mexico legislators propose prison terms for criminal recruitment

Legislative reforms are moving forward in Mexico to criminalize the recruitment of children and adolescents by organized crime. At the federal level, a proposal supported by Deputy Blanca Narro Panameño has been sent to the Senate. The reform seeks to establish criminal recruitment as an independent offense, with prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years. If the recruitment involves threats, violence, or abuse of power, penalties could increase to between 15 and 25 years.

The federal proposal also aims to recognize the forced recruitment of minors and mandates that the Public Ministry notify protection agencies when signs of minor recruitment are detected. This comes amid reports that between 145,000 and 250,000 minors in Mexico are at risk of recruitment.

In the state of Michoacán, the local congress has already approved a reform known as ‘Los Pollitos de Colores’. This state-level measure imposes prison sentences of 5 to 15 years for anyone who induces, facilitates, or utilizes minors to commit crimes. The law ensures that individuals caught with minors under their command will face additional charges for recruitment on top of the underlying crimes committed.