Animal Shelter Claims Jalisco Cartel Is Threatening To Kill All Animals If Not Paid Thousands a Month

An animal shelter in the Mexican state of Jalisco claimed that the eponymous cartel (CJNG) is threatening with killing all animals and burn the facility to the ground if they don't pay an extortion to let them operate.

The shelter, called Pergatuzoo, is home to some 2,000 animals, including cats, dogs, pigs, horses, donkeys and more, according to Infobae.

Authorities there claimed that the Jalisco Cartel is demanding for 50,000 Mexican pesos a month (a little over $2,650) to let them operate. The shelter added in a social media publication that the facility doesn't have the resources to face that payment, and that it's already facing a food shortage, leaving it unable to properly tend for all animals.

The outlet recalled that last months family members of the founders were intercepted by alleged CJNG members, who uttered threats against them. After going to the police, officers instead seized food donated to the shelter and took personal items, the people said.

The cartel, designated as a terrorist organization by the Trump administration, has also made headlines recently after local outlet Milenio published a report detailing that it is using fast food restaurants as meeting points to recruit young people and make them join its ranks.

The outlet compiled testimonies from groups searching for loved ones believed to have been taken by cartels. They said young people are generally lured to the restaurants after being promised well-paying jobs. They are then greeted by a couple who pays for a trip elsewhere, with families saying that is the last thing they know from them.

The outlet clarified that the restaurants are not involved in the recruiting, but cartels take advantage of the fact that many people come and go to remain unnoticed. It added that once taken, they are trained for about a month, period during which they are completely unable to communicate with anyone.

Milenio noted that alleged cartel operatives do get in touch with some families, seeking to convey peace of mind to them. A text conversation shows an operative saying that cartels no longer make recruits fight and kill each other to harden them. "It's not like before, they don't do it anymore;" reads a passage of the exchange with the member of the Jalisco Cartel, designated as a terrorist organization earlier this year by the U.S.

A recent study by the University of Guadalajara showed a spike in the disappearance of people aged between 15 and 19, with at least 122 reports related to people that age. It added that over 600 people were reported missing in the state of Jalisco between January and April this year.

Another recent report claimed that cartels are increasingly recruiting children as young as six, exploiting their vulnerability and immunity from harsh legal consequences.