Mexico villagers recount cartel kidnappings in Guerrero

Villagers from El Balcón, a remote community in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero, have shared accounts of being kidnapped by armed drug cartels. On September 24, dozens of gunmen entered the village of approximately 750 residents, capturing various individuals including an elderly man, a teenager, a driver, and a mezcal producer.

Survivors reported being held for 22 days. They described being referred to as “squirrels” by captors because they were forced to eat while handcuffed. The victims stated that cartels use kidnapping as a method to subjugate, recruit, or punish local populations. While eight villagers were specifically identified as being kidnapped, they indicated they were part of a larger group of approximately 136 people taken during the raid. One person remains missing.