Mexican cartels expand beyond drugs into economic sectors: Report
(NewsNation) — Mexican drug cartels are expanding their criminal enterprises beyond narcotics, infiltrating various sectors of the economy and daily life in Mexico and beyond, according to recent government reports and investigations.
The Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, two of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations, have diversified their operations to include internet services, fuel theft, and extortion in the avocado, tortilla, and chicken industries.
In Michoacán state, authorities uncovered a scheme where criminal groups forced residents to pay for high-cost internet service under threat of death. A raid on three properties yielded antennas and internet repeater equipment, demonstrating the cartels’ reach into unexpected sectors.
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Fuel theft, known locally as “huachicoleo,” remains a lucrative venture for cartels. The practice has caused billions of dollars in losses during President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s administration. Cartels employ sophisticated methods, including bribing employees of state-owned oil company Pemex and using modified tanker trucks.
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