Jalisco Congress Stalls Forced Recruitment Bill; Session Lacks Quorum

Lawmakers in Jalisco, Mexico, have stalled an initiative to criminalize forced recruitment, despite evidence suggesting many disappeared individuals in the state are coerced into joining organized crime groups. The bill, which specifically targets the forced recruitment of minors, failed to advance due to a lack of quorum in the Constitutional Affairs Committee.

The initiative, first proposed by legislator Mónica Magaña in August 2025, was scheduled for discussion but saw four of the committee's six members absent. This forced a postponement, with a subsequent attempt later the same day also failing to gather enough members. Committee president Norma López expressed disappointment, stating that the legislators' lack of interest in addressing the issue is regrettable.

Despite the legislative deadlock, the Jalisco Attorney General's Office identified in August 2025 that the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (CJNG) operates a forced recruitment network that spans at least Zacatecas, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Michoacán, and Guerrero. Earlier this week, the Secretary of Public Security and Citizen Protection confirmed the CJNG's support for a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, providing personnel for their ongoing conflict.