January 1, Mexican Cartel Tricks, Kidnaps, and Brutally Claims Lives of 5 US Students

In a horrendous act, five students, all in their late teens and early twenties, were deceitfully trapped under the guise of a job proposal by a notorious Mexican drug cartel.

Tragically, they were subsequently kidnapped and savagely murdered, with the heinous act recorded on video.

El Universal reported that these innocent young men, who had been close friends since childhood, were drawn into a devious trap set up by the Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) Cartel.

The cartel had falsely promised them employment opportunities, hoping to get them on board for their illicit activities.

The cartel, not getting the allegiance they desired, proceeded to murder them in cold blood.

Digging deeper, it was found that these unsuspecting students had reached out to a call center seeking employment.

What they didn’t know was that this center was a front for the CJNG cartel.

Its primary function was to ensnare unsuspecting individuals, coercing them into joining the cartel’s dark operations.

After being in the city of Lagos de Moreno for a festival – a location infamous for its cartel-related crimes – they made contact with a cartel member.

This was the last time they were seen until the gruesome video surfaced.

The video, which was audaciously broadcasted on Mexican national TV, graphically depicted the tragic end of these young men.

They were found in a derelict structure, bound with duct tape, brutally beaten, stabbed, and ultimately beheaded.

The horrifying footage further displayed the cartel’s wickedness by forcing one friend to inflict unimaginable harm upon another.

A subsequent breakthrough came on Wednesday when authorities discovered this very building where the video had been filmed. They recovered four charred bodies, and later, a fifth body was located in a torched vehicle.

The victims were identified by their families as Roberto Olmeda (20), Diego Lara (20), Uriel Galván (19), Dante Cedillo (22), and Jaime Martínez (21).

Luis Mendez, the Attorney General of Jalisco state, shared that investigators are currently sifting through street surveillance footage and seeking witnesses to aid in their inquiry.

Governor Enrique Alfaro drew a direct connection between the cartel and the persistent violence plaguing the area.

He implored federal prosecutors to assume control of the case, stating, “What we are seeing here is an act clearly linked to organized crime. These are irrational, violent and direct attacks against the stability of Jalisco state, and they demand a reaction from the (federal) government.”

Yet, Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador hasn’t ascertained if the federal government will partake in the investigation.

This chilling incident mirrors the atrocities of 2010 when the old Zetas drug cartel used a similar modus operandi.

They would hijack men from buses, force them into ghastly fights using sledgehammers, and demand their allegiance.

A grim discovery in 2011 further substantiated these crimes when 48 concealed graves containing 193 bodies were uncovered in the border state of Tamaulipas.

These victims had their skulls brutally crushed with sledgehammers.

As our loyal readers, we encourage you to share your thoughts and opinions on this issue. Let your voice be heard and join the discussion below.

Source