Law enforcement officials in Mexico have arrested a 14-year-old hit man after he allegedly killed eight people in drug-related incidents.
The boy, known only by his nickname “El Chapito,” is accused of opening fire on a birthday party in Chimalhuacan, a poor suburb of Mexico City, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Jan. 22 incident reportedly left eight people dead and seven others injured, including two children. Another man has been detained in connection with the shooting as well as seven gang members on drug-related charges, the outlet stated.
Mexican authorities have arrested a 14-year-old boy nicknamed “El Chapito” for the drug-related killing of eight people near Mexico City, the federal Public Safety Department said. https://t.co/W3HFFWr2wZ
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 17, 2023
The boy’s name nickname is a nod to the infamous drug lord, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman who was convicted in 2019 on drug trafficking, money laundering and weapons charges and is being held in a Colorado maximum security prison for his life sentence.
While the incident and the boy’s age is shocking, it is not the first time Mexico has seen the use of children in contract killings. (RELATED: JOSH HAMMER: It’s Time To Obliterate The Mexican Drug Cartels)
In 2010, Mexican soldiers apprehended another 14-year old boy who was known by the nickname “El Ponchis,” CBS News reported. El Ponchis had reportedly been kidnapped at the age of 11 by the Cartel of the South Pacific and told authorities he was motivated into committing crimes for the gang after being drugged and threatened. The boy claimed to have participated in “at least” four decapitations while working with the gang, the outlet stated.
Though no motive for the Jan. 22 killings have been released to the public, CBS News reported it is not unusual for drug cartels to engage in hired hits with warring factions, killing rivals who encroach on their “territory” or targeting people who owe them money.