The meeting point is at a McDonald’s or a Burger King. There, a taxi driver drops off the young men who have found a new job. A couple waiting for them pays for their ride, and willingly or not, their foray into the world of crime begins. These are the newest recruits of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
The modus operandi is practically the same: very attractive job offers, easy entry, and good salaries. The only requirement is to arrive at a fast-food establishment in Guadalajara and its surrounding areas.
It should be noted that these fast-food establishments are not part of the criminal network. They are merely used as a meeting point for unsuspecting individuals to be tricked into joining the criminal ranks.
“They meet them at a Burger King establishment, they give them notice, they send them an Uber, and that’s how they pick up the people… Exactly, there are many Burger Kings (sic), most of them in Jalisco, or McDonald’s, that’s where they meet people and that’s how they disappear from that place,” Raúl Servín, a member of the Guerreros Buscadores collective of Jalisco.
Those interested in the jobs they offer, whether or not they knew what they were going to do, were previously mainly met at the Guadalajara Bus Station or another location in the metropolitan area.
Organized crime has been operating this way for months, even years.
But with the appearance of Rancho Izaguirre, their modus operandi was exposed, and now they’ve sought out other locations with constant traffic so as not to arouse any suspicion. And that’s how they ended up targeting the famous hamburger franchises.
“All with promises of work, that’s how they get them into the networks, but ultimately it’s to get them into crime,” Servín added.
