The kidnapping of seven teenagers bristles the skin of Zacatecas again

The seven teenagers kidnapped in Zacatecas, in images shared on social networks.

The youngest is 14 years old, the oldest has already turned 18. They are family and friends. That night they had gathered to have dinner with more relatives, to enjoy the Sabbath. But at four in the morning, on Sunday, several vehicles loaded with armed men broke into the ranch where they rested, El Potrerito, in the community of Malpaso, Zacatecas. Seven teenagers were forcibly taken away. Two days later there is no news of his whereabouts.

The kidnapping of seven teenagers has once again bristled the skin of Zacatecas, a state accustomed to violence and disappearances. No one knows where they are and the first few days are key to finding them alive. The authorities have deployed an operation composed of 300 soldiers from the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), the National Guard and police officers from the different communities of Villanueva, the municipality where the crime occurred.

There are many more questions than certainties. It is not known why the teenagers were kidnapped, how many armed men participated in the abduction, if they belong to a criminal group, if there is progress in the investigation. The Public Ministry maintains an absolute opacity and has hardly disseminated news about the case – in its social networks, the only confirmation that the crime happened are the search files issued by each of the seven young people.

Meanwhile, the community is holding its breath and waiting for the teenagers to return alive. There is Jorge Alberto René Ocón Acevedo, the youngest, with only 14 years. He has large brown eyes, brown hair, shaved on the sides, thick lips and 165 centimeters tall. When he was abducted, he was wearing a gold jacket, blue trousers and black sneakers.

Héctor Alejandro Saucedo Acevedo is 17 years old, shares the second surname with Jorge and some features: he has eyes and lips like him, according to the description of the file of the Prosecutor's Office. He is thin, has straight black hair, a tattoo on one arm, a scar on his eyebrow and braces. It measures 1.75. On the day of the abduction, he was wearing a gray sweatshirt, blue pants and white sneakers.

Sergio Yobani Acevedo Rodriguez is 18 years old, with brown hair and green eyes. It measures 1.70. His card indicates that he has a "tattoo with the image of a kite on the right calf" and also braces. He is the oldest along with Gumaro Santacruz Carrillo, of the same age. He has brown eyes "medium, slanted", black and straight hair, 1.60 meters. He was wearing a gray sweatshirt, black T-shirt and pants and white sneakers.

There is another teenager also with 18, Jesus Manuel Rodriguez Robles. It is the highest of the seven at 1.78 meters. Large and straight nose, straight brown hair and short. He was wearing Vans sneakers, a black and gray T-shirt and blue pants. Oscar Ernesto Rojas Alvarado is only 15 years old. He is the second smallest after Jorge. He has brown, slanted eyes, 1.57 meters and a slim build. When he was kidnapped, he was wearing a gold chain, a diamond ring, a black cloth belt and a balaclava. and Diego Rodriguez Vidales, 17. He is stocky, measuring 1.74 and has tattoos on his left arm, right forearm and right calf.

According to official data, of the 111,648 missing persons in Mexico, 3,650 correspond to Zacatecas. Like much of the rest of the country, its territory is contested by the Jalisco Cartel – New Generation and the Sinaloa Cartel, two criminal organizations battling for control of the area and drug trafficking routes. In 2021, the State was the entity with the most episodes of forced displacement according to the report of the Mexican Commission for the Defense and Promotion of Human Rights presented this January.

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