I’m from Mexico. Maybe about a year ago I went to visit my family in the state of Jalisco. I’d rather not say the name of the town.

But for a period of time, roughly a few months, cartel members from the group CJNG had a hideout home where they stored many bodies and would kidnap younger men and boys and force them to join. If not? You’ll probably be a body in that said house.

This house was just down the hill from my Tia’s home. During the day she would make me hide in the trunk or I’d just crouch into a ball as much as I can. Even if there was no one in sight. Once we reached the main town I was good to go.

We would go back home roughly 4pm and no one was allowed to leave the house until morning. The house got hit by Mexican marines. Bodies recovered. And the members either arrested or shot dead.

25 years old. This is the closest “encounter” I’ve had with the cartels. I saw one cartel member (assuming from Sonora because of his accent and his clothing) he had what appeared to be a silver handgun holstered into his pants. We made eye contact but I just continued on with my day.