Drug cartels in Mexico have been responsible for the deaths and disappearances of numerous students and teachers in various high-profile incidents, often in collaboration with corrupt local authorities

. These events are emblematic of the broader issue of organized crime and impunity in the country. 

Key cases involving cartels and educational settings include:

The Ayotzinapa Mass Kidnapping (2014)

One of the most notorious cases is the disappearance of 43 student teachers from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College in Iguala, Guerrero, in September 2014. 

• Events: The students had commandeered buses to travel to a protest in Mexico City when they were intercepted and fired upon by municipal police. Six people were killed in the initial attacks, including one student whose body was found tortured and mutilated.
• Cartel Involvement: The students were reportedly handed over to members of the Guerreros Unidosdrug cartel, allegedly on the orders of the local mayor.
• Outcome: The majority of the students were never found. Initial official investigations, which claimed the students were killed and their bodies burned in a dump, were later debunked as “scientifically impossible” and a “crime of the state” cover-up. Subsequent investigations suggest the military was aware of the events and potentially involved in a cover-up. 

Killing of Film Students (2018)

In March 2018, three film students in Jalisco were kidnapped, tortured, killed, and their bodies dissolved in acid by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel(CJNG). The cartel members mistook them for members of a rival gang, Nueva Plaza, after the students filmed a school project at a property linked to the rival gang’s operations. 

Murder of University Students (2023 and 2025)

• Guanajuato (2023): Five university students were found shot to death and their bodies stuffed into a car near their university in Celaya, a city contested by rival cartels.
• Oaxaca (2025): Nine dismembered bodies, feared to be those of missing students vacationing in the area, were discovered beside a highway in March 2025. 

Teacher/Coach Killed in the U.S. (2021)

In a separate incident in North Carolina in 2021, a high school teacher and basketball coach, Barney Harris, was killed in a shootout while allegedly attempting to rob a stash house operated by a Mexican drug cartel. This highlighted the reach of Mexican cartels into the United States. 

These incidents underscore the severe impact of cartel violence on ordinary citizens, including students and educators, in both Mexico and occasionally beyond its borders. 

The term “Sicario kill school” is likely a misunderstanding, as 

the movie Sicario does not involve a school shooting, but rather a violent raid on a drug cartel family. However, the phrase could be a confused reference to a school shooting in Mexico on January 10, 2020, or to a 2018 incident where a man was accused of training children for school shootings in New Mexico. 

School shootings

• Colegio Cervantes shooting (January 10, 2020):An 11-year-old student in Torreón, Mexico, shot and killed his teacher and injured several students before killing himself. The incident occurred at the Colegio Cervantes private school.
• New Mexico compound (August 2018):Authorities raided a compound in New Mexico where a man was allegedly training children with assault rifles in preparation for school shootings. 

Sicario movie plot

• The 2015 film Sicario involves characters who are operatives in the drug war, but it does not depict a school shooting.
• The film’s plot includes a violent raid where the character Alejandro kills a drug cartel leader, his family, and his guards in an act of revenge. 

Drug cartels in Mexico have been responsible for the deaths and disappearances of numerous students and teachers in several high-profile incidents, often due to mistaken identity or collusion with local authorities

. 

Noteworthy Incidents

• The Ayotzinapa 43 Students (2014): This is Mexico’s most notorious case, involving the disappearance of 43 male student teachers from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College in Iguala, Guerrero. The students had commandeered buses to travel to a protest when they were intercepted by local police and handed over to the Guerreros Unidos drug cartel.
  • The initial government investigation claimed the cartel killed the students and burned their remains, a version widely disputed by independent experts as “scientifically impossible”.
  • Later investigations suggested military and federal police involvement and a high-level government cover-up. The remains of only three students have been positively identified.
  • One theory suggests the students unknowingly took control of buses being used to smuggle heroin, leading the cartel and corrupt officials to target them to eliminate witnesses.
• Three Film Students (2018): Three film students were abducted, tortured, and killed in Jalisco, Mexico, in March 2018. Authorities determined they were mistaken for members of a rival gang, the Nueva Plaza gang, by members of the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG). Their bodies were subsequently dissolved in acid to hide the evidence.
• Five University Students (2023): In December 2023, the bodies of five male students from the Latina University of Mexico were found in a car near the campus in Celaya, Guanajuato. The state is a flashpoint for a violent turf war between the Santa Rosa de Lima and Jalisco New Generationcartels.
• North Carolina Teacher (2021): Barney Harris, a popular high school teacher and basketball coach from North Carolina, was killed in a shootout with a Mexican drug cartel in Alamance County, North Carolina. Authorities determined that Harris and another man had attempted to rob the cartel’s stash house. 

These cases are emblematic of the widespread violence and impunity in Mexico, where cartels often operate with the collusion of local authorities and their actions deeply impact civilian life, sometimes closing schools and prompting mass protests. 

Mexican drug cartels are known to train recruits, including minors, and there are reports of training camps where individuals are taught various tactics.

Cartel Recruitment and Training Methods

• Recruitment of Minors: Reports indicate that cartels may recruit individuals under 18, viewing them as potential members for various roles within their organizations.
• Deceptive Recruitment: Some individuals are reportedly lured into cartel involvement through false promises or job opportunities before being integrated into their operations.
• Training Activities: Training activities are said to include physical conditioning, weapons handling, and instruction in various operational procedures used by cartels.
• Consequences of Refusal: Individuals who attempt to leave or refuse to participate may face severe repercussions.
• Training Sites: Authorities have reportedly discovered locations used by cartels for training purposes. 

Impact and Response

• Estimates suggest a significant number of individuals, including young people, have become involved with criminal groups in Mexico.
• Efforts to prevent youth involvement and address the issue of recruitment are ongoing, though challenges remain in providing effective support and addressing legal frameworks.
• The activities of cartels have contributed to a high number of missing persons in Mexico, and investigations have uncovered sites related to their operations.