Cartel recruitment at heart of Mexico's missing person's crisis

Members of the "Guerreros Buscadores" collective pray in an abandoned house used to sell drugs after finding human remains in the Oblatos neighborhood, during a search for their missing relatives in Guadalajara, Jalisco state, Mexico, on April 19, 2025. [AFP]

When Rubi Cruz recognised her husband's belongings among personal items found at a suspected Mexican drug cartel training camp, she feared the worst -- that he had become a victim of forced recruitment.

The discovery of bones, shoes and clothing at a ranch in the western state of Jalisco has shone a spotlight on the ruthless tactics of violent criminal groups in a country where more than 120,000 people are missing.