Authorities in Jalisco, Mexico, rescued nine people—including a 20-year-old man whose disappearance had been reported by his family—from a property in Tecalitlán that prosecutors say was being used by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) as a clandestine medical facility for injured cartel members. Six people were arrested at the site on suspicion of guarding the captives.
The case began when the young man’s family went to the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office for missing persons to report that he was likely a victim of forced recruitment. According to the family’s account, the man had told them he was going to work at a ranch, but several people later arrived in a car and took him away, and the family lost all contact with him afterward.
Investigators traced him to a property in Tecalitlán, in southern Jalisco. Working in coordination with the National Guard and the Secretariat of National Defense, investigative personnel entered the site and found not only the missing man but eight other people allegedly being held against their will.
“The young man was indeed there, but he wasn’t alone; there were eight other people being held against their will,” said Jalisco Prosecutor Salvador González de los Santos.
According to the prosecutor, evidence gathered at the scene indicated the property was being used to provide specialized medical treatment to members of the criminal organization who had been injured in clashes or other activities. He said the evidence and testimony collected suggest the site served to shelter recruited individuals who had sustained injuries and needed time to recover. Two of the rescued individuals were reportedly using crutches, while others had undergone surgical procedures involving the implantation of hardware to treat their injuries.
Authorities said they are now investigating whether local medical personnel may have been involved in treating the injured individuals or in operating the facility.
The nine people rescued range in age from 16 to 43 and are from Mexico City, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, and Jalisco. All nine were transported to Guadalajara to begin the process of reuniting with their families, although only the young man whose disappearance triggered the investigation had been the subject of an official missing person alert.
The six people arrested—five men and one woman—range in age from 21 to 48 and are from Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit, and Michoacán. Prosecutors said they intend to pursue charges against them for human trafficking and forced disappearance. As with any criminal case, those arrested are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Human trafficking charges generally involve allegations of recruiting, transporting, or holding a person through force, coercion, or deception for purposes such as labor or exploitation, while forced disappearance charges typically relate to unlawfully depriving a person of their liberty and concealing their whereabouts. Specific legal definitions and penalties can vary by jurisdiction.
The six detained individuals have been placed at the disposal of judicial authorities. Prosecutors said the investigation is continuing in order to identify other people who may have been involved in the alleged recruitment scheme and in operating the property.
Source: Borderlandbeat.com
