Five unsuspecting students met a grim fate after being ensnared by a drug cartel’s false employment scheme.
The tragic episode took place in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico on August 11, where five individuals, between the ages of 19 and 22, were ambushed and taken by gunmen.
Identified as Roberto Olmeda Cuellar, Dante Cedillo Hernández, Jaime Adolfo Martinez Miranda, Diego Alberto Lara Santoyo, and Uriel Galván González, the students were led to believe they were being considered for positions as security guards. In a horrific twist, they were instead forced to join the cartel’s ranks and participate in a violent initiation, which involved an assassination.
The brutality of their demise was broadcasted through videos on social media, sending shockwaves across communities. The horrifying video showed the five on their knees, with duct tape on their mouths, their faces bleeding and bruised. The men were made to lie down and one was forced to beat, stab and decapitate one of the others.
Law enforcement agencies found a site with four incinerated bodies. Another victim was found in a car that had been set ablaze.
Investigations point towards the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known to operate deceptive call centers that prey on job seekers, only to coerce them into cartel operations.
The incident has sparked discussions on Mexico’s cartel challenges, with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at the center of criticism. Jalisco’s Governor Enrique Alfaro is urging stronger federal involvement, emphasizing the dire need to tackle the challenges posed by organized criminal groups.
