Tragically, the young men resisted this coercion, leading to their eventual execution. The names of these individuals—Roberto Olmeda, Diego Lara, Uriel Galvan, Jaime Martinez, and Dante Cedillo—were later revealed by their grieving relatives, as reported by El Pais.
El Universal's investigation highlights a compelling hypothesis. The young men had ostensibly reached out to a call center for potential employment opportunities. Regrettably, they were unaware that these centers were manipulated by the CJNG for the forced recruitment of individuals. Promising high-paying roles with enticing benefits, these centers were, in fact, mechanisms to ensnare unwitting victims into the cartel's grasp.
While the Attorney General's Office in the state of Jalisco, known as Fiscalía del Estado de Jalisco, has not yet confirmed the details of this report, there is ongoing speculation regarding the responsibility for the disturbing video and the ensuing deaths. The La Orilla del Agua neighborhood in Lagos de Moreno is disputed territory between the CJNG and the Sinaloa cartel, both major drug cartels in Mexico. A significant clue, the "Pure MZ" mark seen in the video, is attributed to Mayo Zambada, the leader of the Sinaloa cartel, according to El Pais.
On a tragic Wednesday afternoon, Mexican authorities located the premises where the video and photos were purportedly taken. Shockingly, they discovered four burned and decapitated bodies. Although their identities remained unknown at the time, these bodies were discovered within a building close to where the young men had been kidnapped. Another victim was found inside a charred vehicle nearby.
Jalisco prosecutors shared distressing images portraying a ranch environment, complete with brick and concrete structures.
Bloodstains, scattered shoes, and investigators scouring the area painted a somber picture. These visuals pointed to the likelihood that the youths had been present at this ranch.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed deep sorrow regarding the killings, which he termed "very regrettable." He also disclosed that federal prosecutors would be assuming jurisdiction over the case due to its connection to drug cartels. The victims' disappearance had occurred during a trip to attend a festival in Lagos de Moreno, a region marked by cartel violence. Their subsequent appearance in the video, restrained by tape and surrounded by cartel members, portrayed a horrific scenario, with one of them tragically shown bludgeoning and decapitating a friend.
This tragic event evokes chilling memories of past instances of drug cartel brutality, where kidnapped victims were subjected to unimaginable horrors, forced to fight or even kill each other. In 2010, the Zetas cartel demonstrated a similar heinousness by abducting individuals and compelling them to engage in lethal fights. Furthermore, in 2011, a shocking discovery of clandestine graves containing nearly 200 bodies revealed the brutality faced by victims in the northern state of Tamaulipas, where many had suffered fatal blows with sledgehammers.