A feared Jalisco drug cartel created a “ghost” business called Segmex so it could entice new recruits with promises of generous benefits and bonuses, says Jalisco Attorney General Eduardo Almaguer.
Jobseekers were told that Segmex was a private security firm, when in reality recruits were being sought for the cartel.
State police recently detained 13 alleged members of the group, and discovered the scheme was run by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
The accused gang took to the streets in pursuit of new recruits.
“These criminals hand out these flyers on the streets to recruit people and incorporate them into the ranks of organized crime,” Almaguer said at a press conference.
The flyers advertised bodyguard positions and specified that recruits should have experience with firearms. According to Almaguer, many recruits were threatened and forced to work for the gang after they expressed interest in the job offerings.
In recent years, the CJNG has consolidated its position as the most powerful cartel in the region. The criminal collective was behind several deadly ambushes of police last year. On May 2015, the gang coordinated a series of “narco-blockades” that brought Jalisco and neighboring states to a near standstill.