World · Latin America · 2 hrs ago
Criminal groups in Mexico recruit minors through friends and family
A University of Iberoamericana specialist says criminal groups in Mexico recruit minors in more than one way.
Friends, relatives and acquaintances may draw young people in, alongside job offers and contacts on digital platforms promising income, protection or recognition.
Adolescents aged 12 to 17 are exposed, especially where they live around people involved in crime or lack support networks.
Some may know that offered activities are illegal, but age, violence, social conditions and limited alternatives can shape their decisions.
Recruitment can lead to young people being moved to other areas, with risks of displacement and disappearance.
Girls and teenagers are also recruited, so prevention and detection should not focus only on boys or a narrow profile of young people.
Criminal groups in Mexico may recruit minors through friends, relatives and acquaintances, not only through threats or kidnapping.
Marisol Ochoa Elizondo of IBERO Mexico City said adolescents aged 12 to 17 are exposed to these approaches.
Recruitment can begin in everyday places, through social media or with offers of work, money, protection and recognition.
Girls and teenagers are also recruited, Ochoa Elizondo said.
Age, exposure to violence, social conditions and a lack of alternatives can shape young people’s decisions.
- Who
- Criminal groups recruit minors, including adolescents aged 12 to 17. Girls and teenagers are also targeted.
- What
- Minors may be approached through friends, relatives, acquaintances, job offers and digital platforms.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- Mexico, including Guadalajara, Jalisco, and its outskirts.
- Why
- Offers of income, protection or recognition can attract young people. Social conditions, exposure to violence and lack of alternatives can also influence their decisions.
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- Age range
- 12 to 17
- Location mentioned
- Guadalajara, Jalisco
- Expert
- Marisol Ochoa Elizondo, director of IBERO Mexico City’s Department of History
- Article date
- 2026-10-29