Following a raid by Jalisco state police and state social welfare officials, 271 people – including 112 minors – with drug addiction, alcoholism and other behavioral problems have been removed from a rehabilitation shelter in Tonala.
Authorities said the troubled men and youths living at the Despertar Espiritual center had been victims of physical and psychological abuse.
Preliminary investigations also suggest that the center had links to the violent Jalisco Nueva Generación drug cartel. Several residents told police they had been taken there by cartelmembers and tortured.
A representative for the State Commission Against Sanitary Risks (Coprisjal) said the center was overpopulated by an astonishing 300 percent. Living conditions were cramped, hygiene was appalling and there were signs that some of the minors had been physically mistreated.
According to some reports, the 271 men and youths were housed in three adjoining houses with a total floor space of just 900 square meters.
The 112 youngsters were taken to the Ciudad Niñez operated by the state Family Development Agency (DIF), where they later received a visit from Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval, who tried to revive their spirits with a pep talk.
After inspecting the center for himself, Sandoval called for an immediate revision of all similar “treatment” centers in the state. He said new legislation might be needed to bring them into line.
The minors will be reunited with their parents or guardians before a decision is taken on their futures.