The country’s most powerful cartels have found new arms suppliers: US teenagers aged 16 to 19 who secure a wide range of weapons for cartel bosses—sourcing them directly from states with lax regulations and via social media channels like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram—according to a new investigation by *The New York Times*.
For this report, journalist Paulina Villegas interviewed four young people working for well-known criminal organizations, such as the Sinaloa Cartel. They buy, steal, and resell handguns and high-caliber rifles.
One of those involved is “El Flaco,” an 18-year-old who entered the business at age 14 when he acquired his first Glock 19X pistol. He resold it in a WhatsApp group and used the profits to buy a rifle.
The “Phoenix Boys” Have No Exclusive Partner
The Sinaloa Cartel acquires most of the equipment, explained JM, an 18-year-old American who coordinates students from about twenty high schools in Phoenix. However, his network does not maintain a relationship with any specific cartel.
JM entered the world of arms dealing two years ago, when he pooled $700 with two friends to buy a Kalashnikov rifle. They sold it for $1,200 and reinvested the proceeds to purchase more weapons.
That is how JM established contacts with organized crime, cementing his status as a major supplier in Arizona and earning the group the name “Phoenix Boys.”
This US state is a preferred hub for arms trafficking due to its proximity to Mexico and the growing criminal network within US territory. Young Americans are at the forefront of these transactions; data cited by the newspaper indicate that of the more than 11,000 arms traffickers investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) between 2017 and 2021, one-third were under the age of 25, and around five percent were under 17.
