Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador urged citizens not to be deceived by drug cartels that distribute toys and Christmas gifts in a major city.
The warnings come amid an investigation launched by authorities after videos posted on social media showed alleged perpetrators in decorated trucks handing out toys to children in Guadalajara.
During a press conference, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador addressed the citizens saying, “Don’t let them manipulate you, even if they give you food… They don’t do it with good intentions, but rather to use you as a shield.” .
He pointed out that the purpose of the gangs is to encourage people to warn them “in the event of a seizure of cocaine, for example, so that residents rush to the protection of smugglers.”
Local media reported that the gift distributors were believed to belong to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of the most violent gangs in the country plagued by drug-related crime.
Source: AFP