Desertion a Big Problem for Mexico's Armed Forces: 150,000 in 16 Years Mexico News Daily
go to original August 6, 2016

Almost 150,000 military officials of all ranks have deserted from the armed forces during the last 16 years, and many pundits fear they have gone to work for organized crime instead.

Desertion from the military is the most common crime among its ranks, and the Defense Secretariat, Sedena, has kept records of it since 2000.

The numbers have been parsed and broken down by six-year presidential administrations, and although the numbers appear to be in decline concerns remain about where those soldiers have gone.

Between 2000 and 2006, 101,013 personnel deserted, but the figure plunged to 42,986 between 2007 and 2012. So far in the current administration, just 4,991 have left military life.

In total, 148,990 armed forces members have gone AWOL: 147,473 troops and 1,517 officers, 53 of those being of senior rank.

According to specialists in national security and drug trafficking, the main causes for leaving the forces are low salary and high risk, six-month periods away from their families and poor military discipline.

Read the rest at Mexico News Daily

Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

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