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Mexico's notorious drug cartel was seen distributing gifts to residents for Christmas, a scene that spread through social media.

On the 25th (local time), according to Mexican daily Reforma and others, the day before Christmas, men loaded with boxes on a vehicle drove around a street in Guadalajara, Jalisco, handing out gifts to residents. The vehicle was decorated with sparkling lights and ornaments such as Santa Claus and snowmen, while residents lined both sides of the street, clapping to welcome them. Crowds gathered as families with children waited for toy gifts to be handed out.

Drug cartel members handed out gifts to residents on a street in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Photo by Anonymous Mexico, Twitter capture

It turned out that the men distributing the gifts belonged to the drug cartel "C?rtel de Jalisco Nueva Generaci?n" (CJNG), the main perpetrators of violent crimes such as murder and kidnapping in Mexico. They told children that the gifts were "from El Ere." According to local media, "El Ere" is the nickname of Ricardo Luis Velasco, a high-ranking member of the cartel. There was a police station about 700 meters from the location where the gifts were distributed.

CJNG is a massive cartel estimated to have up to 20,000 members, operating throughout Mexico, the United States, and Central and South America. The U.S. government has designated it as one of the five "most dangerous multinational criminal organizations" worldwide. They do not hesitate to commit brutal crimes against rival cartels, law enforcement, and civilians alike. Led by "El Mencho," a former police officer and Mexico's emerging drug lord, the cartel is known to include many former military and police personnel among its members. It is notorious for heavily arming its members like a special forces unit, backed by abundant funds.

Christmas gift events by drug cartels are not uncommon in Mexico. Cartels often distribute gifts to residents in their strongholds during Christmas or Children's Day. This sends a message to residents that "we have more influence than the government," helps cultivate a friendly image, and facilitates recruitment or cooperation from locals. They give essential goods and school supplies to the poor, build schools in villages, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, they also delivered disaster relief supplies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.