This week, Mexican and U.S. authorities confirmed reports of eight young workers being killed while working for a Mexican drug cartel’s illegal scam call center.
The workers were from the western city of Guadalajara, and had gone missing in July after their families became suspicious a search was conducted. Eventually 45 bags of human remains were discovered in Jalisco, Mexico earlier this week and now identified as the remains of the eight victims.
The Jalisco New Generation cartel is one of the most feared drug trafficking groups in Mexico, with a history of extortion and kidnapping.
Now, U.S. authorities are finding that the cartel has extended its powers to include scam call centers, which scam Americans out of money with offers of fake timeshares. It is believed that the victims were killed to serve as an “example” to those who might have thought about defying the cartel.
Call centers have been a growing source of youth employment in Mexico, with many of the workers having learned English in the United States prior to returning or migrating to Mexico.
However, with the growing presence and power of the cartels, the dangers are ever increasing. The U.S. Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence has said that the cartel’s scam call centers have gained substantial revenue streams, while old US citizens are exploited out of their life savings.