Al Jazeera English Inside Mexico’s growing army of child cartel assassins

Drug cartels in Mexico are recruiting a growing number of children to the criminal underworld, where they’re groomed to become hitmen.
One coalition of children’s groups estimates that between 250,000 and 400,000 minors are at risk of joining criminal organisations.
Al Jazeera met “Guero”, a 14-year-old hitman in Ciudad Juarez, one of Mexico’s most violent cities, as he described his life carrying out kidnappings and killings for cartels.
Guero’s story highlights how children are targeted for their perceived expendability, with shorter prison sentences making them valuable assets for criminal bosses.
While community leaders like former gang members are working to reclaim spaces through sports and arts programmes, the Mexican government has yet to implement a unified strategy to address the issue. In a society where crime deprives children of their futures, some only see death as a way out.

Al Jazeera’s John Holman reports from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

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