After Mexican security forces killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho, leader of the New Generation Cartel Jalisco, social networks in this country were flooded with unverified violence information and images.
In fact, instability has erupted in many areas as loyalists to drug lord El Mencho set up barricades, burned buses, shops and attacked gas stations in retaliation. However, on cyberspace, the level of chaos is described as much more serious.
Among the widely circulating false information are images of Guadalajara airport being occupied by gunmen, planes burning on the runway or smoke covering churches and many buildings in the tourist city of Puerto Vallarta. Reuters has verified that these images are fake but have been shared tens of thousands of times.
Experts believe that this campaign to spread fake news is happening at a remarkable speed, not only because users lack verification, but in some cases also because gangs themselves promote it to exaggerate the scale of retaliation. Ms. Jane Esberg, Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said that the goal is to create an impression that the Mexican government does not control the situation and gangs are present everywhere.
Ms. Esberg said that this strategy makes it more difficult to determine the scale of violence and the real challenges facing security forces.
Answering questions about accounts related to fake news spreading gangs, Mexican Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch said that authorities have identified "many accounts" and will investigate further to clarify direct links with organized crime. He also said that there are accounts specializing in spreading false information but no criminal links have been established.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum affirmed that the government is quickly refuting false information and admitted that "many" fake news appeared after El Mencho's death.
According to researchers, Mexican gangs have long used social media for propaganda purposes, from defaming opponents to promoting relief distribution activities during the pandemic. Previously, fake content was often old videos or images from other conflicts. The emergence of artificial intelligence helps them create more sophisticated propaganda products.
