Amidst all this mystery and murder, one man has spoken about his actions as a remorseless killer for the cartels. Allowed to speak to the press as long as he didn’t reveal his identity, this anonymous executioner admitted that he has ‘no regrets’ about kidnapping, torturing and murdering 30 people. Now that’s pretty bloody dark.

Speaking to Associated Press, he said that he does not see himself as evil as he won’t kill women or children and doesn’t make victims dig their own graves. I’m not 100% convinced he can be the judge of that, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. One saving grace (if you could call it that) is that he understands that his actions have a huge impact on the families of the people he ‘blows away’.

First killing at the tender age of 20, the killer remembers the number of people he has killed over the past nine years, and the places he disposed of their bodies. He does not however remember the people in question however, which I imagine makes his job a whole lot easier. Detachment. So why choose a life of crime over say, a simple farming job?

Well it all comes down to location really. The region of Guerrero, where he lives, is home to the party town of Acapulco, but due to its rich farmland, the area is used to grow heroin poppies and marijuana. It is because of this the cartels are so deeply entrenched in the area. Simply living a normal life is probably very difficult.

The area being what it is, the cartels are often killing for territory and information. This is where the majority of our killer’s victims come from. Many of the people he kills either belong to rival gangs, are informers or are deemed a security risk. The methods of torture he uses include simulated drownings and delivering electric shocks to the helpless victim.

“You pour water so that the electrical current is stronger. With time, you come to learn how to hurt people, to get the information you need.”

In 99% of cases, once the information has been extracted from the victim they are shot. Brutal. It sounds like you need a sadistic streak and a strong stomach to do this job for a living.

One of the stranger parts of the man’s story is that his family are unaware of his life as a killer, thinking instead that he is raising cattle. He goes on to justify his career, claiming that he is defending his family, saying rival gangs would do worse than him. Again, I’m not sure it’s a contest – murder is murder however you dress it up.

With ‘disappearances’ spirally out of control, it’s clear that something needs to be done about the cartel issue in Mexico. Sadly though in some communities the cartels work with corrupt authorities to make sure that their will is also law.