By The opinion
20 Jul 2024, 16:29 PM EDT
As if the terror and violence that the Mexican cartels sow, as well as the blood they shed with their activities, were not enough, they now seek to make themselves present in all sectors of the population, including the world of video games, such as Roblox, where it was discovered that there are drug trafficking universes.
As if it were a marketing strategy, criminal organizations seek to reach new audiences and do so through channels where young people spend a lot of time: video games accessible from various devices.
This is how you can access Virtual worlds where life is like a normal day in the most violent areas of Mexicothe hitmen approach their victims, interrogate them and then shoot them.
The settings are diverse, convenience stores, deserted streets, bridges or any other place that exists in real life, where crimes are committed just as they happen in Mexico. To access them you can search by state, city or cartel name.
Yes, the most popular are those that are actually key in the history of drug trafficking, for example, there is a game called “The DEA against the Sinaloa Cartel”which takes place in Badiraguato; another is called “Navy vs. CJNG”; others are based in Culiacán or Tamaulipas. There is also representation from other cartels.
The drug dealer in Roblox
What is Roblox? The first thing you need to know is that it is a free online social multiplayer game. Users can shape their worlds with pieces of different sizes and materials.
“It’s very similar to creating your worlds and video games with Lego pieces.and then you can share your creations with other users,” explains the Xataka website.
In this regard, the newspaper Milenio carried out an investigation and contacted the creator of one of the accounts behind the universe “Mayo Zambada” on Roblox to learn more about cartel worldbuilding in video games.
This person, who remained anonymous, revealed that he has direct contact with a criminal, whom he included in the video game.
“We only make characters for ‘El Tigre’, we have direct contact with him and everything you do must be with the permission of the person you are making videos of,” said the creator, who said he is 18 years old.
He added that “El Tigre” liked the videos and praised their workIt serves as propaganda in the real world, where it patrols, and expands online to a global audience.
Finally, he explained that, unlike in real life, cartels do not fight, they have found rivals in Roblox and do not claim anything from each other, they just coexist peacefully.
In this way, it can be seen that the universes of the cartels are open to the general public, and no sector of the population in Mexico is safe from establishing contact with the criminal world, even if only indirectly.
Keep reading:
– Three young people who were deceived and recruited by drug traffickers through social media are rescued.
– Mexican cartels use video games to recruit new hitmen.