Mexican Authorities Raid Shelter That Forced Minors To Beg For Money On The Streets

A shelter in the Mexican state of Chihuahua is under investigation after authorities conducting a search warrant found issues with at least six minors that were allegedly mistreated and forced to beg for money on the streets.

The shelter under investigation is the "Unidas X Amor" center, established in 2014 with the aim to help men and women of low resources to combat their drug and alcohol addictions. Since its creation, the shelter has expanded and now counts with two shelters, one for women and one for men.

According to information gathered by authorities in the search warrant conducted on Nov. 7, people in charge of the Unidas X Amor shelter sent minors to a nearby neighborhood to collect money so the shelter could finance basic needs for those staying in the shelter.

According to agreements signed with Chihuahua's Agency for Integral Family Development (DIF), Unidas X Amor received a set amount of money every month for every child and adolescent under their care. But despite the financial assistance received from the government, minors staying at the shelter were still being forced to beg for money on the streets.

Wendy Chávez, a prosecutor specialized in crimes against women, said that no supplemental information regarding the victims can be released to the public until authorities finalize their investigations as to how many minors were victims of forced begging and of child abuse.

Despite that, Chávez revealed that more than 30 female minors were immediately taken out of the Unidas X Amor center and placed in government shelters. Chávez also added that several cellphones and two laptops were confiscated so investigators could review messages and video recordings.

During a virtual press conference, Chávez highlighted that, since 2023, the Prosecutor's Office Specialized in Crimes Against Women (FEM) reported unauthorized absences of minors at the Unidas X Amor center, which led authorities to investigate possible crimes related to forced begging and child abuse.

Previous investigations also yielded information regarding escapes recorded at the Unidas X Amor center in February. According to information collected by the Chihuahua Attorney General's Office, there were at least two minors that escaped from the center that were never reported to their respective families.

Authorities continue searching for seven other minors

Between all the commotion generated by the search warrant on Nov. 7, several minors escaped from the Unidas X Amor center due to uncertainty of where they would end up after authorities cleared the shelter and prepared to relocate them.

Ashley Torres (14), María Yorley Ruiz Hernández (17), Uziel Alexis Leyva Márquez (16), Josué Fernando Loera Ramos (16), Roberto Nazario Aguirre (17), Rigoberto Ponce González (17) and Josué Cadena Gutiérrez (17) were reported missing and authorities are yet to locate them one week after the incident.