Last year, 205 minors were imprisoned for these reasons in centers run by the National Institute for Teenage Social Inclusion (Inisa), El Observador revealed.

The publication states that this number marks an increase. In 2023, 81 teenagers were imprisoned for drug-related crimes.

Twenty-eight point one percent of those admitted to Inisa were linked to the carrying, possession, and trafficking of narcotics. In 2023, the figure was 12.7 percent.

The incidence of drugs in crimes committed by adolescents reached that of robbery, for which 29.5 percent of the 730 who served prison sentences in 2024 were imprisoned.

A few days ago, El Observador reported on the situation of seven foreign minors who are in prison, five of whom arrived from Brazil for drug-related crimes and homicides.

The INISA data is consistent with what is happening among adults, as more and more crimes related to drug trafficking are being committed in the country.

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