Mexican drug cartels use GTA Online to recruit drug dealers: reports

According to a Forbes report, Mexican cartels have used games like GTA Online to recruit “drug couriers”. The report states that the US has gathered evidence that GTA Online is a recruiting tool for Mexican drug cartels.

Last year’s case involved customs and border guards inspecting a jeep where they found 60kg of methamphetamine. Regarding the story of the drugs in the car, the driver explained that they met a man in Grand Theft Auto Online and recruited him to work as a “runner”, delivering electronics so they could be sold in Mexico.

The driver claimed they would be paid up to $2,000 per ride. This was not the only time Grand Theft Auto Online was used as a vehicle to recruit mules.

Cartels use GTA Online, Free Fire and other games to recruit mules

The Forbes report details other games being used as recruiting tools as well as the popular mobile battle royale game Free Fire. Three minors in Oaxaca, Mexico were reportedly recruited through Free Fire and offered $200 as cartel surveillance.

Online gaming has been on the rise since the mid-2000s, and games like Grand Theft Auto Online, Free Fire, Fortnite, and more are populated by players of all ages. While this is not the first time video games have been used as a means to encourage criminal activity, it will be interesting to see if this leads to further legal action by the state against publishers.

There seems to be some irony in this, especially in the case of Grand Theft Auto, since almost 80% of the time players in GTA Online spend in the service of cartels and all kinds of criminals.