Mexican Children Recruited to Combat Kidnappings in Guerrero

In response to escalating violence and a wave of kidnappings, a volunteer police force in Ayahualtempa, Guerrero, has armed children as young as 12 to help patrol their community.

Children as young as 12 have been recruited by a volunteer police force in Ayahualtempa, a village in the southwestern state of Guerrero, Mexico, to help combat a wave of kidnappings.
The recruitment of minors is a response to the perceived inadequacy of local authorities in dealing with organized crime, particularly powerful drug trafficking gangs.
Violence has escalated in Guerrero, one of Mexico's poorest states, with a recent drone attack allegedly carried out by the drug cartel La Familia Michoacana killing around 30 people.
Four members of a local family have been missing since they were kidnapped, prompting the recruitment of minors to reinforce the volunteer police force.
The children, armed with rifles and sticks, will carry out surveillance tasks while adults search for the missing people.