Mexican cartel violence: Teen known as ‘El Chapita’ arrested for 8 murders

Mexico City — Mexican authorities have arrested a 14-year-old boy nicknamed “El Chapita” for the drug-related killing of eight people near Mexico City, the federal Department of Public Safety said Thursday. The boy is believed to have driven up on a motorcycle and opened fire on the family in the poor Mexico City suburb of Chimalhuacan.

Another man was also arrested in the Jan. 22 killings, and seven other gang members were arrested on drug charges.

The victims were hosting a party at their home at the time of the attack, which also injured five adults and two children. It was reportedly a birthday party.

The boy’s name has not been released, but his nickname – “Little Chapo” – is a clear reference to the imprisoned drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán. El Chapo is serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison in Colorado Criminal record of 2019 on charges including drug trafficking, money laundering and weapons offenses.

The motive for the killing has not been released, but drug gangs in Mexico often engage in kidnappings and contract killings. They also kill rivals who sell drugs on their territory or people who owe them money.

Child killers are no stranger to Mexico.

In 2010, soldiers detained a 14-year-old boy named “El Ponchis,” who claimed he had been kidnapped at age 11 and forced to work for the South Pacific Cartel, an offshoot of Beltran Leyva’s splinter gang. He said he participated in at least four beheadings.

After his arrest, the boy, who authorities gave only as Edgar, told reporters he was drugged and threatened to commit a crime.

Also Thursday, prosecutors in the northern border state of Sonora said they had arrested a woman in connection with nine murders in the border city of Mexicali.

The state attorney’s office said the woman had outstanding warrants for two murders, but was named in seven other homicide investigations. The department does not say what the possible motives for these murders are.