Cartels Are Recruiting People at Rehab Centers By Promising Them 'Job Opportunities'

Mazatlán police — Local law enforcement in Mazatlán responded to the five rehabilitation centers that were targeted by criminal groups in their recruitment attempts Image via infobae.com/Policia Mazatlán

Drug trafficking organizations are constantly coming up with new ways to recruit members to their illicit enterprises. From fake job postings to propaganda shared on social media, criminal groups are shifting their approach to lure new people in and strengthen their ranks.

The latest move by the Sinaloa cartel is focused on recruiting new members staying in rehabilitation centers, according Claudia Sánchez Kondo, Sinaloa's Attorney General.

According to Sinaloa officials, a total of 31 people who were staying at the "Permaneces" center in the city of Mazatlán were recruited by alleged drug cartel members who promised them "job opportunities" if they joined them.

#Mazatlán #Sinaloa #Culiacanazo

Reportan levantón masivo en ‘anexo’ de #Mazatlán; fueron 16 internos que decidieron irse a trabajar con un grupo que llegó por ellos, informa Seguridad Pública Sinaloa.
Dice autoridad que salieron "Por su propia decisión".🚨 pic.twitter.com/3l28wf6NJ0
— Jesús Colio (@JesusColio) December 11, 2024

The alleged cartel members forced workers to delete any video evidence recorded by security cameras. Once inside, the criminals allegedly asked people if anybody was interested in "firing shots," adding they paid "15 thousand pesos a month" if they decided to join.

"Mazatlán's police investigative base toured five rehabilitation centers around the city and found that a total of 31 people have left these facilities on their own will," Sánchez Kondo said.

She added that the Attorney General's Office had opened an investigation regarding possible kidnappings after authorities received news about cartels recruiting people rehabbing at these facilities.

"It was not forced," Sánchez Kondo said, after interviews with family members matched the version shared by authorities.

And although recruiting people in rehab centers might sound bizarre, authorities say that these facilities had been on the drug cartel's radar for months, as they allegedly made several visits in the last three months to multiple locations around the city.

The day before the news went viral, Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya said in his weekly press conference that Mazatlán was "armored" in its fight against criminal groups, minimizing the impact cartel-related violence has had in the state.

Rocha Moya argued that there had been progress in terms of public safety, going as far as saying that no homicides were taking place in Mazatlán.