A Look at the Dark and Mysterious Side of Mexico

Some cartels recruit girls as teenagers and train them to become sicarias—female assassins who carry out kidnappings, extortion, and murders. They’re often lured with promises of luxury, then trapped in a violent world where loyalty is enforced through fear. Once inside, leaving the cartel is almost impossible.

Many sicarias rise to become feared enforcers, known for their ruthlessness. Their existence shatters traditional gender expectations while highlighting how cartels exploit poverty and trauma. These women are both perpetrators and victims, shaped by the same cycles of violence that fuel Mexico’s ongoing drug wars.