MEXICO CITY — In late October, a deeply alarming incident unfolded in Mexico’s ongoing drug cartel violence when a 14-year-old boy was kidnapped alongside approximately a dozen family members in the southern region of the country. Amid the mounting chaos, a distressing video surfaced online featuring the boy, Ángel Barrera Millán, appearing frail and bare-footed, seated against a tree with ropes binding his hands. In the footage, he uttered under apparent duress that he was affiliated with a rival drug faction, displaying clear signs of intimidation and fear in his youthful visage.
On Friday, authorities confirmed the tragic fate of Ángel, who was one of four minors among seven adults found brutally murdered, with their dismembered remains discovered in the cargo area of a pickup truck along a highway. This heart-wrenching incident highlights the audacious control exerted by local drug cartels, as well as the ineffectiveness of governmental responses in regions like Chilpancingo — the capital of Guerrero state, home to the well-known tourist destination of Acapulco — and the nearby locale of Chilapa.
The family’s abduction occurred on October 21 while they were traveling to Chilapa to sell plastic household items such as buckets and containers at an open-air market. They were taken captive by The Ardillos, a cartel that dominates the Chilapa area and is engaged in ongoing conflict with a rival group known as Tlacos over territory in Chilpancingo. Evidence suggests that the family was targeted after one of their members mistakenly photographed the wrong individual in town, a dangerous misstep in such a volatile region.
To date, the fate of the two remaining family members out of the group of 13 is uncertain. Authorities have confirmed the discovery of 11 bodies, which included three women and another boy aged 13. The turmoil for the family did not cease with the fatalities. On October 27, four relatives who went searching for their missing family members also fell victim to kidnapping and have not been heard from since.
Before the bodies were located on November 6, local authorities had been conducting extensive searches, deeming the case as one of missing persons involving 17 family members. During the search efforts, prosecutors showcased images of police and military personnel, alongside vehicles and drones, scouring remote roads and dense brush. They even offered a reward of around $50,000 for any information leading to the missing individuals.
It is suspected that the killings took place in Chilpancingo, a city with a population of approximately 300,000. The victims were discarded on a prominent boulevard that doubles as a major north-south highway leading to Acapulco. The family’s demise adds to the list of horrific acts attributed to the cartel. For instance, earlier in October, the newly inaugurated mayor of Chilpancingo was brutally murdered and decapitated just a week after assuming office. Alejandro Arcos, who took office on October 1, had his remains discovered a week later, with his head horrifyingly displayed on the roof of a vehicle.
Furthermore, in 2023, another cartel executed a disturbing operation where they hijacked a government armored vehicle, blocked a key highway, and took police officers hostage to secure the release of detained associates. Such acts of violence, including the frequent disposal of hostage bodies or the posting of gruesome interrogation videos, are common tactics employed by Mexican cartels to instill fear into their adversaries and sow chaos among authorities.