The Global Advisor: Spotlight on Latin America | June 2025
Jamaica
Mexico
Haitian criminal kidnaps woman for ransom and sexually assaults her in Saint James parish. Criminals kidnapped a woman from inside a relative’s house in Montego Bay (St James parish) on 16 April. The kidnappers took her to a nearby bush community where they beat and sexually assaulted the victim. The perpetrators then contacted her family to demand a ransom in exchange for her release. The victim was released on 18 April. Police on 25 April arrested one suspect, a Haitian man.
Virtual kidnappers target school students in Zapopan (Jalisco state) Alleged members of a large criminal group on 31 May virtually kidnapped five school students in Zapopan (Jalisco state). The scammers called all the victims while they were in school and forced them, under threat of violence, to move to an unreported location. Their relatives received calls simultaneously from the perpetrators, making large ransom demands, however, the police located the students in the street shortly after, defusing the scam.
Control Risks comment
Control Risks comment
Despite its high crime rates, Jamaica records low numbers of kidnaps compared to other Central American countries. Registered incidents tend to occur in Kingston and Saint Catherine parishes and are normally perpetrated by low-capability criminals, including small gangs.
Mexico recorded a 340% increase in virtual kidnappings during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, with the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area accounting for the highest number of cases. This pattern will pose a heightened threat to wealthy individuals and business owners over the rest of the year, as high-capability virtual kidnappers will continue targeting their dependants. Cases affecting their children at school are particularly common, given that kidnappers can easily deceive and isolate them. In contrast, cases affecting multiple victims at the same time are likely to remain rare.
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