1,500 Pesos to Leave, ‘Cooperation’ Fees for Bullets: 15 Tsotsil Families in Chenalhó, Chiapas, Say a Group They Tie to the CJNG Holds Them Captive and Forces Drugs on Their Kids
Fifteen Tsotsil families in Fracción Tzanembolom, Chenalhó, in the highlands of Chiapas, say an armed group they tie to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) will not let them leave, charges a 1,500-peso fine to anyone who does, collects “cooperation” payments to buy bullets and forces their children to take drugs. They made the claims in a video and written statement dated Oct. 5, 2026, reported by Chiapas Paralelo and Aristegui Noticias on Oct. 6 and Infobae on Oct. 7.
‘We are kidnapped’
“Estamos secuestrados, amenazados por los líderes y obligados a cooperar para mantener activa esta guerrilla” (“We are kidnapped, threatened by the leaders and forced to pay to keep this guerrilla going”), the families say in the video, according to Chiapas Paralelo. “Obligan a consumir droga a los niños y jóvenes; aquí ya no tenemos futuro” (“They force the children and young people to take drugs; we have no future here”), their statement says. Anyone who disagrees, they wrote, is threatened or killed.
Chiapas Paralelo, citing a source, put the number of people trapped at about 145. The families name 4 leaders and 5 commanders they say are part of the CJNG; the outlets did not publish the names. Infobae reports that the families say the 5 commanders are paid monthly to keep the group running.
Two killings they say were never investigated
The families say Eleuterio Arias Pérez was killed on Oct. 20, 2025, and that the municipal president and municipal judge knew but no investigation was opened, Infobae reported. They also say a 15-year-old was killed and buried inside the community without it being made public.
Neighboring Centro Tzanembolom has already emptied out: 67 families, 267 people, fled between February and July 2024 after the Feb. 13, 2024, killing of Prudencio Pérez Pérez, Chiapas Paralelo reported. Displaced families there have called the armed group the “Ejército Civil Indígena,” allied with a group known as Los Herrera.
The families addressed their appeal to Gov. Eduardo Ramírez, state Attorney General Jorge Llaven Abarca, state Security Secretary Óscar Aparicio Avendaño and President Claudia Sheinbaum. On Sept. 11, Ramírez said 95% of people displaced by criminal groups in Chiapas had returned home, Infobae noted. None of the three outlets reported an official response to the complaint.
Pie de Nota’s video report on the families’ plea:
Sources
- Chiapas Paralelo (Ángeles Mariscal), “Familias de Fracción Tzanembolom, Chenalhó, Chiapas piden auxilio…,” Oct. 6, 2026
- Aristegui Noticias, “Familias de Chenalhó piden auxilio: denuncian que grupo armado las obliga a pagar balas y a sus niños a consumir droga,” Oct. 6, 2026
- Infobae México (Anayeli Tapia Sandoval), “CJNG asedia Chenalhó: habitantes denuncian ‘cooperaciones’ para municiones y consumo forzado de drogas a niños,” Oct. 7, 2026
- Pie de Nota, “Una comunidad tsotsil suplica ser rescatada del CJNG en los Altos de Chiapas” (video), Oct. 7, 2026
- Photos: Reuters (Jacob Garcia), via Infobae
Reported Oct. 8, 2026, from the outlets above. The CJNG link, the killings and the other accusations come from the families’ statement and have not been confirmed by authorities; no arrests have been reported.