The authorities of the Michoacán Public Security Secretariat announced on Tuesday, May 6, the detention of nine foreign nationals, allegedly members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Among the items seized from those detained were tactical vests with the cartel's letters, long firearms, cartridges, magazines, marijuana, containers for the manufacture of explosive devices, and spike strips. According to the head of the Michoacán Government Secretariat, Carlos Torres Piña, cartels have been recruiting foreigners, in this case, eight Venezuelans and one Honduran, through false promises of work.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in the arrival of Central American and South American migrants to southern Mexico intending to head to the United States in search of asylum or to cross the border illegally. Many of them found themselves stranded in various Mexican states after Trump's arrival at the White House in January 2025. Taking advantage of the vulnerability of these migrants, cartels, including the CJNG, have found an opportunity to recruit them and strengthen their ranks.
The recruitment of foreigners by organized crime is occurring through deception or even voluntarily. According to Torres Piña, these migrants could be used to strengthen the armed presence of the cartels, especially in the manufacturing and use of explosive devices. The Michoacán Attorney General's Office has reported the detention of several foreigners in various municipalities, reflecting a problem that has been documented for more than a year.
Michoacán has witnessed confrontations between various organized crime groups seeking to control territory for illicit activities. The CJNG and Los Viagras are disputing control of the Tierra Caliente region, strategic for its connection to the port of Lázaro Cárdenas, an important point for drug trafficking at the national and international levels.
