**Criminal Organizations Responsible for the Majority of Child Murders in Baja California**
In the region of Baja California, an alarming trend has been observed where criminal organizations are responsible for the majority of child murders. According to Miguel Ángel Gaxiola Rodríguez, the head of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes Against Life in the state, these tragic incidents typically fall into two categories: children are either victims of domestic violence or are caught up in criminal activities, sometimes as collateral victims due to their parents’ involvement in such activities.
A poignant example was the case of a 15-year-old boy who was killed in Ensenada in February while traveling with his brother and father, Jorge Antonio Meléndrez, a known drug trafficker linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Such cases, although not frequent, demonstrate the violent environment these minors are exposed to.
In 2024, violence within families was responsible for 9% of child murders, a decrease from 18% in 2023. Despite these figures, there is a considerable lack of resolutions — many cases remain unsolved. Notably, 425 minors have been murdered over the last eight years in Baja California, with a peak in adolescent victims aged 13 to 17, with Tijuana being a hotspot for such crimes.
**Secondary Article: Cartel Recruitment of Minors in Baja California**
The issue of minors being integrated into cartel activities remains critical in Baja California. An increasing number of adolescents are being recruited by the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, enticing them with promises of money, drugs, and a sense of belonging. Younger recruits are often tasked with dangerous jobs such as drug and arms transport, and sometimes even murder, under the guise of normalcy due to their age.
A notorious incident exemplifying this was the confrontation near COBACH Florido in Tijuana, triggered by a turf war over drug sales. Teenagers as young as 14 were manipulated into these criminal activities, often unaware of the grave risks they were undertaking. Such incidents highlight the need for stronger intervention and prevention efforts to protect minors from these dangerous environments and provide them with safer alternatives.
**Case Highlight: A Deadly Reminder of the Involvement of Minors in Cartel Activities**
The case of Brittany, a 16-year-old girl from Tijuana, vividly underscores the dangers young individuals face. Lured by promises and coerced into the drug trade, Brittany became another tragic statistic when she and two other women were found murdered. This incident, linked to cartel operations, also implicated a military officer, underlining the pervasive influence and reach of these criminal organizations into various societal levels.
Preventive measures and decisive actions are imperative to mitigate the involvement of minors in such perilous circumstances and to reduce these tragic outcomes.