Luis HF, a young TikTok user, has gone viral after sharing his testimony as a victim of the phenomenon known as needle spiking, which occurred on a Mexico City Metro line.
The video, which has already accumulated thousands of views, exposes not only the seriousness of the incident but also the institutional shortcomings he faced in seeking medical attention and justice.
“I felt the sting, then came the trip.”
Luis recounted that the incident occurred between 4:00 and 4:10 p.m. when he boarded a train at the Ethiopia station, heading to Tacubaya.
“After a minute, I felt a sting in the middle of my back, on the left side of my spine,” he explained.
Although he initially attributed it to a common shove, his attention was drawn to a man standing right behind him with a cell phone “apparently recording,” but in a suspicious position.
Minutes later, he began to experience severe symptoms: rapid heart rate, dizziness, excessive sweating, muscle weakness, and confusion.
“I couldn’t even get the words out to call for help,” he confessed.
A child gave him his seat, and he was able to stay upright until he got off several stops later.
He went to the police… and then to the Prosecutor’s Office.
When he arrived at a station, he asked an officer to check his back. “You just have a scratch,” they replied. Still, Luis decided to file a complaint.
The next day, he went to the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Benito Juárez, where he received what he described as “the most professional care I’ve ever had in my life”: they accompanied him all day and provided him with full support.
However, his experience changed drastically when he was sent to the Poison Control Center, where he claims he suffered widespread mistreatment and inadequate sample collection procedures.
“Instead of syringes, they let the blood fall and collected it in tubes… a filthy mess.”
Other victims: “That day there were six of us”
While waiting at the clinic, Luis spoke with another victim, a woman in her 30s who was attacked in the women-only carriage by a man carrying a bouquet of flowers.
She did manage to stop the attacker. Minutes later, other women arrived with similar symptoms, one of them unconscious.
“That day there were six of us victims at that clinic alone. Official statistics say there are 41 cases… that’s not true. The toxicology department says they’ve been seeing between four and five people a day for a month,” he reported.
What are they looking for with the needle sticks?
Luis stated that neither he nor the other women had any belongings stolen, which leads one to believe this isn’t a modus operandi for immediate robbery.
“Are they testing us with a new substance? Is this another form of aggression? I don’t know. But it’s real, and we need to talk about it.”
Doctors informed him that his symptoms diminished more quickly, possibly because he’s a man and has good muscle tone. They added that in women, the effects can last longer, which is why they are the primary victims.
Luis admitted that, although he didn’t confront the suspect at the time, he would act differently today.
“If you feel a sting, complain, make a noise. And if you’re wrong, apologize. But it’s better to be safe than sorry for another attack.”
Since then, he has changed his way of using public transportation: he prefers to sit or lean against a wall in the car to avoid being vulnerable. He also recommends avoiding rush hour transportation if possible.
“I thought it was mass hysteria. But now that it’s happened to you, you see it’s not a myth. This is happening and is more common than people say.”
Source: excelsior
