Cuernavaca, Morelos — A US citizen living in Cuernavaca has been reported to authorities for allegedly recruiting teenagers into the Palo Mayombe sect through deception and threats, according to Luis Alberto Chávez Molina, the municipal prosecutor for the protection of children, adolescents, and the family.
The suspect, currently detained in Tulum, Quintana Roo, is accused of luring victims and their families with promises of “removing spirits” from their homes, then demanding they join the religious organization as part of the supposed protection process.
Investigations revealed that a teenager and her mother were taken to Tulum under threats. After complaints were filed, the Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office arrested the foreigner.
Chávez Molina said the case was not isolated, as one victim was allegedly induced to recruit another teenager for the same group.
Authorities are providing support to the victims, who are receiving specialized psychiatric care as part of their recovery.
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