Sonora authorities confirmed the arrest of two teenage hitmen responsible for the murder of Sergio Daniel Gaxiola Galindo, a 16-year-old high school student and promising amateur boxer from Ciudad Obregón.
The youths were arrested in possession of firearms used in the young boxer’s execution on May 5.
According to the report from the Sonora State Attorney General’s Office (FGJE), the events occurred in the Los Ángeles neighborhood when Sergio Daniel was walking down the street. He was intercepted by the two youths, who were on a motorcycle, and they executed him.
The case gained national attention on May 9th, when the victim’s mother, Mar Stephanie Galindo, intercepted Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo during her tour of the municipality of Navojoa. The mother reported that her son had received threats prior to the attack, as criminal groups were pressuring him to join their ranks, an invitation the young athlete refused.
Based on this testimony, the Attorney General’s Office is investigating whether the crime is part of a modus operandi of forced recruitment by criminal organizations vying for control of drug trafficking in the region. Currently, the municipality of Cajeme is experiencing an intense wave of violence stemming from the rivalry between factions such as Los Chapitos and Los Salazar, whose dispute centers on fentanyl trafficking to the United States.
The two minors detained have been placed in the custody of specialized juvenile justice authorities, who will determine their legal status regarding the charge of aggravated homicide.
