Introduction
Mexican authorities have denied the existence of these training camps due to lack of evidence. However, testimonies from the Guerreros Buscadores are irrefutable: there were “leones” (crematoriums) and giant aluminum blenders at the Rancho Izaguirre.
The Search for Missing Students
The search for dozens of missing students in major cities of Jalisco has garnered international media attention since the macabre discovery of the Teuchitlán plot eight months ago. This has exposed the extreme violence perpetrated by Mexican cartels, revealing that the most powerful criminal organization in Mexico, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), operates an extensive network of ranches converted into assassin training schools.
Documentary Exposure
A documentary titled “Mexico: Ranchos de Muerte” was recently aired on La Segunda de RTVE, directed by Teresa Martín and presented by Lorenzo Milá. The documentary highlights the shift in local strategy, following the arrival of Governor Pablo Lemus, to deter youth recruitment by cartels. It features a special police unit patrolling near the Tlaquepaque bus terminal.
Testimonies and Investigations
The documentary features interviews with law enforcement officers and the mothers of missing students, who are the true protagonists. Sandra Romandía, a Sonoran journalist, published “Testigos del Horror” (Grijalbo, 2025), a complementary investigative piece supported by criminologist Yuriria Rodríguez Castro’s research. This work echoes the documentary’s narrative by giving voice to those who have escaped cartel control.
- Q: What are the common practices in these training camps? A: Among the disturbing practices are cold-blooded murders as training exercises, dismemberment of bodies, cremation of corpses, and even cannibalism.
- Q: How many training camps have been identified? A: A team of journalists coordinated by CONNECTAS documented at least 12 training centers and 17 campsites discovered between 2011 and 2025 across 21 municipalities in Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Michoacán, and Zacatecas.
Legal and Financial Aspects
Subtext:
Federal officials invoked judicial secrecy to keep the names of three lottery concessionaires, allegedly involved in money laundering, under wraps. However, media reports identified two companies from the Salinas Group, whose representatives have expressed willingness to cooperate in investigations. An overlooked detail is the recent amparo lawsuit filed by Bet365 licensees against the Directorate General of Games and Lotteries in the Secretariat of Governance, following the sanction decision against them.
