Extortion, gang violence hits even big corporations and business leaders in Mexico

Even Mexico’s largest corporations are now being hit by demands from drug cartels, and gangs are increasingly trying to control the distribution of goods.

Even Mexico’s largest corporations are now being hit by demands from drug cartels, and gangs are increasingly trying to control the sale, distribution and pricing of certain goods.

Well-known, high-ranking business leaders aren’t even safe.

On Monday, the head of the business chambers’ federation in Tamaulipas state, across the border from Texas, gave television interviews complaining about drug cartel extortion in the state. Hours later on Tuesday, Julio Almanza was shot to death outside his offices in the city of Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas.

“We are hostages to extortion demands, we are hostages of criminal groups,” Almanza said in one of his last interviews. “Charging extortion payments has practically become the national sport in Tamaulipas.”

The problem came to a head when the Femsa corporation, which operates Oxxo, Mexico’s largest chain of convenience stores, announced late last week that it was closing all of its 191 stores and seven gas stations in another border city, Nuevo Laredo, because of gang problems.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/mexico-companies-extortion-gangs-cartels-rcna164649

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