Mexico busts cartel-linked extortion ring in historic crackdown; unique animals and automobiles seized

Mexico’s authorities stated Wednesday it had dismantled a prison group behind a large extortion scheme within the largest such operation thus far.

The gang, with ties to a significant drug cartel, had operated out of the central State of Mexico, extorting firms and people in 14 municipalities and controlling labor unions within the development, mining, agriculture and parcel supply industries.

“Combating this prison group was an pressing want to guard the native economic system and the peace of 1000’s of households,” stated Mexico’s Safety Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch.

The crackdown — dubbed Operation “Liberacion” — noticed almost 3,000 safety personnel perform 52 raids, leading to eight arrests of individuals believed to be the gang’s leaders, Garcia Harfuch stated on social media.

Police additionally seized stolen farm and unique animals, meat, tons of development supplies, and autos.

Garcia Harfuch stated it was “the biggest” operation ever carried out in opposition to extortion gangs, that are infamous and widespread in Mexico.

“This case is a transparent instance of what we are able to obtain when there’s willingness, collaboration and a shared dedication to justice,” Garcia Harfach stated in a assertion.

A video launched by authorities confirmed officers finishing up a number of raids throughout Mexico on July 21.

Cartels in lots of elements of Mexico have expanded into kidnapping and extortion to extend their earnings, demanding cash from residents and enterprise homeowners and threatening to kidnap or kill them in the event that they refuse.

Final July,  a Mexican fisheries trade chief who complained of drug cartel extortion and unlawful fishing was shot to dying within the northern border state of Baja California. The killing within the port metropolis of Ensenada got here simply hours after Pérez complained of widespread competitors from unlawful fishing.

Peculiar residents are additionally focused with extortion. Final January, a cartel within the embattled central Mexico state of Michoacan arrange its personal makeshift web antennas and advised locals they needed to pay to make use of its Wi-Fi service or they might be killed, prosecutors stated. Dubbed “narco-antennas” by native media, the cartel’s system concerned web antennas arrange in varied cities constructed with stolen tools.

The Related Press contributed to this report.