During the first days of the new Public Training Center for Artificial Intelligence—promoted by the government as “the largest in Latin America”—hundreds of young people proudly shared their acceptance into the program. Hashtags like #LabMexIA, #MéxicoPaísDeInnovación, and #EstudioIAGratis spread across social media as students and families celebrated what seemed like a major opportunity for social mobility.
But while authorities showcased the project, organized crime was already watching the conversation. For many criminal groups, a young person learning AI is not just a student: it’s a strategic asset. A valuable profile for developing tools, automating illicit operations, and strengthening criminal capabilities.
And in a country where digital recruitment is rapidly expanding, the massive exposure of these students’ data has become a real threat.
According to the Strategic Governance Mechanism (updated in 2024), 27% of youth recruitment happens exclusively through digital platforms. TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, Discord, Twitch, and games like Free Fire, Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Roblox serve as channels to contact, persuade, and manipulate teenagers.
The offers sound irresistible:
But once inside, young people are pressured into criminal tasks: surveillance, drug dealing, extortion, virtual kidnapping, or even violent activities.
Criminals know exactly how to exploit the economic and emotional needs of vulnerable youths.
Seven out of ten minors recruited by criminal groups come from homes affected by violence, poverty, or emotional neglect. That same vulnerability is present among the 10,000+ students enrolled in the new AI Center—many from public schools and low-income households.
For them, learning AI could provide a real path toward better income. But that same motivation makes them ideal targets for deceptive job offers.
On top of this, hundreds of students publicly posted their name, city, school, photo, and training location—making it extremely easy for criminal groups to locate them. No government database needs to be hacked; a simple scroll on TikTok or Instagram is enough.
And unfortunately, the government’s recent cybersecurity track record does not inspire confidence.
Learn more: Mexico at a Crossroads: Build a Strong Cybersecurity Strategy
During 2025, Mexico’s Ministry of Education (SEP) suffered multiple incidents:
At TecnetOne, we analyzed these events and the pattern is clear: there is no serious data protection strategy in the educational sector.
If scholarship programs suffered massive leaks, what could happen to a program that concentrates highly visible, tech-driven youth?
To make things worse, internal sources confirmed:
In summary: thousands of students have been exposed without even basic protection.
The first ten centers opened in areas already facing severe digital recruitment issues:
These regions are already targeted by cartels combining territorial control with sophisticated digital campaigns. Analysts have identified tactics such as:
With a massive program like the AI Center, criminals need only sit back and wait for students to expose themselves.
Criminal groups are not just looking for cheap labor—they want specialized talent.
Between 2022 and 2025, authorities documented cases of youth recruited for:
These are exactly the skills the Public AI Center will teach thousands of students.
For organized crime, this is not a coincidence—it’s an opportunity.
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Even though enrollment is managed through Llave MX, the application process was public. And without any control over what students posted, many publicly shared:
For a criminal, this is pure gold. No need to hack any database—just basic OSINT tools (the same we use at TecnetOne for corporate investigations) are enough to build student profiles.
The risk isn’t only from technical leaks: voluntary exposure is already enough.
While the government celebrates the new center as a symbol of “technological sovereignty,” there is no:
Without these measures, young people remain defenseless.
And the cartels already dominate the digital game.
If, in the coming months, a case emerges of a student collaborating with CJNG or the Sinaloa Cartel, it would not be a surprise. Their data has been public for weeks, cartels actively operate online, and thousands of students face economic vulnerability.
The alarming part? This exposure was entirely avoidable.
And while the government celebrates the project, the real risk falls on the students.