The Global Advisor: Spotlight on Latin America | March 2026 Mexico
Armed group kidnaps Carnaval tourists in Mazatlán (Sinaloa state) On 3 February, armed criminals kidnapped four men, one woman and a girl from the tourist area of Mazatlán during the celebrations for Carnaval, forcing them into two vehicles. The kidnappers released the woman and girl a short time later, but the fate of the male victims was not reported.
Scammers virtually kidnap a teenage dependant in Guadalajara (Jalisco state) Criminals on 22 January coerced a teenage girl over the phone into leaving her home and cutting contact with her family, simultaneously calling her parents to claim they had kidnapped her and to demand a large ransom for her release. Police responded to the incident and located the girl safe and alone, confirming the case was a virtual kidnap.
Control Risks comment
Control Risks comment
This incident highlights the deteriorating security environment in Sinaloa as the warring factions of the Sinaloa cartel, Los Mayos and Los Chapitos, seek to gain control of the state. This conflict has driven a spike in cases in the first two months of 2026, particularly in mass kidnaps, with 50% of all incidents registered in the state this year so far involving five or more victims. Such incidents will likely continue over the coming months as criminals seek to generate revenue and retaliate against companies and individuals they perceive to be cooperating with their rivals.
This event follows a steep rise in virtual kidnaps in Jalisco state in 2025, during which Control Risks registered a 520% increase, compared to the previous year as criminal groups become increasingly familiar with this tactic. Most cases took place in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, with 29% taking place in the Guadalajara municipality, 26% in Tlajomulco (Jalisco state) municipality and 23% in Zapopan (Jalisco state) municipality. The elevated number of virtual kidnaps is likely to persist over 2026, with incidents remaining concentrated in urban centres. Around 56% of virtual kidnapping victims in Jalisco in the past five years were underage dependants, a trend likely to persist as perpetrators increasingly use social media to profile minors from high-income families.
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