The drug war has resulted in more than a thousand victims among the dead and missing due to the terrorist cartels
Among the victims are minors as young as two, six, nine, and twelve years old. The most affected group is teenagers aged 13 to 17, who have represented the majority of the deaths.
Jenny del Rincón also highlighted that not all minors have been collateral victims. Some, unfortunately, have been recruited by criminal organizations and have lost their lives participating in criminal acts.
In light of this situation, the government of Sinaloa has announced the launch of the Voluntary Disarmament Program 2025. The program aims to incentivize the anonymous surrender of weapons and explosives in exchange for financial compensation.
The initiative will begin on April 7 in the municipalities of Salvador Alvarado, Mocorito, and Angostura, and will subsequently extend to the entire state.
The program, now in its fourth consecutive year, allows citizens to surrender weapons anonymously without fear of reprisals. Once received, they are destroyed by personnel from the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA).
Depending on the caliber and type of weapon, economic incentives are granted, which this year have been increased. For example, submachine guns can now be exchanged for between $13,000 and $15,000. Semi-automatic rifles and machine guns can be exchanged for a similar value of $15,000 pesos.
The state government seeks with this strategy to reduce the number of weapons in circulation by disarming the population. Time will tell how effective the government's strategy is, where evidently, it maintains the stance of not combating the narco.
The violence between the factions of Los Chapitos and La Mayiza, of the Cártel de Sinaloa, has claimed a tragic toll in the last eight months. According to data from the Secretariado de Seguridad Pública (SESESP), at least 37 minors have lost their lives during this armed conflict.
"From September 2024 to March 2025 there is a total of 37 minor victims"
Reported Ricardo Jenny del Rincón, head of SESESP.
"The ages range from two to 17 years"
He also added that these minors have been direct or collateral victims of the violence in the region.
The official explained that there is no precise breakdown of the circumstances of each case, but the deaths are linked to organized crime.
"We don't have the precise data on whether it was in a confrontation, a collateral victim, or by a stray bullet. Ultimately, they are victims linked to these criminal acts", he noted.
