More than a week after the discovery of clothing, footwear, personal belongings, and alleged skeletal remains inside the Izaguirre ranch, described as a “training center” by the National Guard (GN).
In Mazatlan, few people go out at night anymore.
The fight between cartels has left a trail of fear and missing persons.
“Businesses are closing earlier, and there’s less tourism.”
This past weekend, hundreds demonstrated in Teuchitlán, Jalisco, against the alleged training camp of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, where they only found traces of what are believed to be hundreds of victims.
More than a week after the discovery of clothing, footwear, personal belongings, and alleged skeletal remains inside the Izaguirre ranch, described as a “training center” by the National Guard (GN), alleged survivors of forced recruitment have decided to break their silence and reveal the violent practices that took place inside the property.
Although initial reports indicate that the property, located in the municipality of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, ceased to be used by organized crime in September 2024—the date it was discovered by state and federal authorities—it was after the search by the Guerreros Buscadores de Jalisco collective that the people who identified themselves as victims of the “ranch of horror” decided to tell their story.
Three of these testimonies were revealed to Milenio Televisión, and a fourth, that of a woman, was shared with the collective’s leader, Indira Navarro.
This is what was revealed. Men whose identities were not revealed recounted some of the atrocities they had to witness—or do—to stay alive.
The first of them recounted that, upon arrival, he was forced to undress. Those who refused or began to ask questions were killed instantly, while those who chose to remain silent were recorded in a notebook and assigned a nickname, tasks, and resources.
Another alleged survivor commented that they were constantly beaten. “Every day they hit us for any little thing, that’s how they kept us in fear. From the moment we arrived, the first thing they do is hit you with sticks,” he commented.
During the day, they were subjected to tests they had to pass if they wanted to stay alive. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about it and that it doesn’t torment me. But at that moment, things were done to stay alive. Those days are the only days when they teach you how to shoot with an AK-47 and handgun,” another survivor confessed.
A third individual revealed that surviving the training was only the first test. Graduates, he noted, were sent to fight for positions.
This is the reality of Mexico: fear and terror.
