An Oaxaca teenager was rescued after being recruited by the Sinaloa Cartel through the Free Fire video game, authorities reported.
The young man, originally from the community of La Lobera in the municipality of Santa Inés del Monte, was located thanks to the collaboration between the Oaxaca Prosecutor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office of Sinaloa.
The disappearance report filed by his relatives activated the specialized search protocols for minors, which allowed him to be located while he was traveling on a bus to Mazatlán, Sinaloa.
This case highlights the growing concern about the use of video games and social networks as recruiting tools by organized crime.
This case highlights the growing concern about the use of video games and social networks as recruiting tools by organized crime.
The Oaxaca prosecutor, Bernardo Rodríguez Alamila, explained that the teenager was contacted by criminal networks from Sinaloa through the online game.
A source from the Oaxaca Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to Infobae Mexico that the criminal group that recruited this teenager is the Sinaloa Cartel, which has been involved in an internal dispute over control of the organization in Culiacán since September 9.
This case highlights the growing concern about the use of video games and social networks as recruiting tools by organized crime.
In 2021, the Government of Mexico had already warned about this problem, pointing out that criminal groups use platforms such as PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo to contact minors anonymously.
The phenomenon is not limited to video games; it also extends to social networks such as TikTok and Instagram, where criminals use usernames related to cartels to attract young people.
While playing online, criminals use usernames such as “CJNG, CDN (acronym for the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel and the Northeast Cartel) sicai0os, c4art3l and other variants,” said the then Undersecretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), Ricardo Mejía.
Sometimes, minors are used in surveillance activities for criminal groups, known as “halconeo,” offering attractive salaries to persuade them.
In a similar case that occurred in October 2021, three minors were rescued in Oaxaca when a woman tried to transport them to Nuevo León. These minors, also Free Fire users, were contacted by an alleged online friend who offered them work in Monterrey. Authorities managed to locate them thanks to the GPS technology used while playing online.
Prosecutor Rodríguez Alamila called on parents to supervise their children’s online activity, emphasizing the importance of browsing safely and responsibly. In addition, it urged people to report any suspicious situation to the relevant authorities.
The Network for the Rights of Children in Mexico (Redim) has reported that thousands of children are recruited annually by drug trafficking and other organised crime gangs, contributing to the spiral of violence affecting the country.
Source: infobae
