Photos have been released of Mexican children brandishing rifles who have been recruited by volunteer police to fight organized crime, according to a report.
The children, who are just 12 years old, paraded through a playground before joining a patrol in the village of Ayahualtenpa in southwestern Guerrero state, where authorities report being overwhelmed by kidnappings, Reuters reported.
“I can't study because of my illegal activities,” one of the teenagers told the Milenio TV channel, adding that he took a series of lessons and learned how to shoot a gun, the news agency reported.
In early January, five people were killed in an alleged cartel drone attack in Guerrero state.
Mexican troops gather at popular U.S. tourist destination where crime is on the rise
Children hold rifles before an induction ceremony into the local police force, days after gunmen kidnapped four people in Ayahualtempa, Guerrero state, Mexico, on January 24. (Reuters)
A family of four from Ayahualtempa was kidnapped and have been missing since last Friday, Reuters reported, citing the Guerrero state prosecutor's office.
“We will not allow them to continue kidnapping us and disappearing us any longer,” local official Antonio Toribio told Reuters, adding that the volunteer police force protecting the village of about 700 children has been strengthened. He pointed out that he is trying to
Cartel human smuggling business is turning entire border towns into war zones
According to Reuters, the children who joined the volunteer police force in Ayahualtempa, Mexico, are just 12 years old. (Reuters)
The reported recruitment comes as Mexican authorities seek to crack down on soaring crime in the popular tourist destination of Tulum and create a “safer and calmer environment.”
Thirty members of the Mexican Navy have been added to the existing law enforcement presence in the busy Caribbean destination, said Tulum Mayor Diego Castañón Trejo.
Children participate in a ceremony to join the volunteer police force in Ayahualtempa, Mexico. (Reuters)
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Trejo said 30 military personnel were added this week, bringing the current strength to more than 250.
FOX News' Sarah Rumpf-Witten contributed to this report.
