## Vigilance Hawks of Crime
You may often notice individuals on the outskirts of highways, near bridges, around police stations, or at the entrances and exits of towns. However, these individuals are not easily detectable when disguised as merchants, employees, business clients, or even police officers allegedly serving and protecting. These vigilantes, colloquially known as “halcones” (hawks), blend into society to report the presence of authorities to organized crime. This alerts criminals involved in drug trafficking, fuel theft, kidnappings, and vehicle theft, among other activities.
These “halcones” can be children, adolescents, young addicts recruited from rehabilitation centers, migrants, or those forcibly disappeared and coerced into this role. They are typically paid between 1,000 to 2,000 pesos per week, with those having higher qualifications earning up to 4,000 to 7,000 pesos. Commanders of certain public security bodies can make up to 20,000 pesos a month, with corrupted or threatened officers receiving 3,000 to 4,000 pesos biweekly. The payment varies depending on the criminal group involved.
The act of “halconeo” is a fundamental part of criminal infrastructure. Technological advancements have enabled criminal groups to develop more sophisticated surveillance systems. Since 2015, several municipalities in Tamaulipas have discovered video surveillance centers used by criminals. From 2022 to 2023, four espionage centers were discovered in Tecate, Ensenada, and Tijuana. Similarly, recent years in Teocaltiche and other municipalities in Jalisco’s Altos Norte region have seen the installation of such centers due to territorial disputes between the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS) and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Carlos Mercado Casillas, an academic and researcher from Jalisco, highlights that civil organizations like REDIM estimate that over 35,000 children and adolescents in Mexico have been forcibly recruited by organized crime to work as “halcones.” Mercado states, “If you travel through Mexico, especially the Pacific Region, you will notice young individuals stationed on bridges, constantly reporting who passes by and where they are headed.”
Francisco Jiménez Reynoso, a researcher from the University of Guadalajara, notes that “halcones” are a crucial cog in the broader machinery of organized crime. He explains, “You can find these informants sitting on sidewalks, avenues, trees, bridges, hills, or rocks, wielding a phone or radio to update their bosses about who passes by.”
These individuals often start as children recruited into crime syndicates, growing up within the organization. Unfortunately, empirical studies show that such individuals often do not survive more than five years. “These informants become disposable, like Kleenex tissues,” Mercado laments, referring to them as “niños kleenex” (Kleenex children).
Additionally, some “halcones” are kidnapped and indoctrinated in remote training camps, only to be rescued by police. The saddest part is that sometimes, law enforcement officials participate in “halconeo,” using their positions to aid criminal groups.
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### Secondary Article: Expanding on “Halcones” Across Mexico
Recent investigations have unveiled further disturbing trends regarding “halcones” across various regions in Mexico. In Hidalgo, multiple municipal police officers have reportedly been coerced into working for Los Zetas, one of the country’s most notorious criminal groups. These officers received mobile devices to report police activities, acting under threats for their participation.
This situation is not unique to a particular region but is pervasive throughout the country. Such practices enable criminal organizations to maintain vigilance over territories and avoid police scrutiny. While few state legislatures have taken action to address “halconeo,” it is generally unrecognized as a criminal offense, thereby complicating efforts to prevent and prosecute this activity.
According to Francisco Jiménez Reynoso, although laws exist to combat organized crime, a troubling level of impunity persists. He emphasizes the need for the National Guard to fully exercise its intelligence and counterintelligence capacities. Reynoso asserts, “The core issue is impunity. Anyone can earn extra money through illicit activities supporting organized crime because they believe nothing will happen.”
Mexico faces a significant challenge in addressing the impunity surrounding “halconeo.” Stricter law enforcement, comprehensive intelligence efforts, and transparent prosecution processes are essential to mitigating this endemic problem.
For more updates and in-depth stories on crime and vigilance in Mexico, visit TJGringo.com.