Nuevourecho, Mexico (AP) — The blackmail of avocado producers in western Mexico is exacerbated, with 500 vigilants from the so-called “vigilant” group known as United Town or Pueblos Unidos gathering to assist police on Saturday. I promised.
Vigilants gathered in the town of Nuevourecho in western Michoacan and armed with a miscellaneous collection of AR-15s and other rifles and shotguns.
They said drug cartels like Viagrass and Harrisco Cartel impose a “war tax” on avocado growers of about $ 1,000 per acre ($ 2,500 per hectare).
Tired of extortion demands and kidnappings, producers and farmers formed a group in 2020, claiming to now have about 3,000 members.
“Some of us were victims of this situation of kidnapping and blackmail,” said one masked vigilant leader who asked not to use his name for fear of retaliation from the gang. rice field.
So far, the vigilants seemed willing to respond to Governor Alfredo Ramirez Bedra’s pledge to disarmament various “self-defense” groups in the state.
“We have reached an agreement with the mayor to increase the number of police,” said the leader of the vigilant group. “For now, we’re cleaning up our guns, but we’re always wary of coming out and helping the police.”
Puebros Unidos held armed rallies in several towns in Michoacan last year, but has always said he wants to officially form a security force to work to expel criminal organizations.
Mexican law prohibits almost all civilians from owning almost any firearm, except for very low caliber hunting rifles and shotguns.
However, Michoacan has a history of armed civilian “self-defense” vigilant militia movements from 2013 to 2014. At that time, the vigilants were able to expel the dominant Temple Knights cartel, but rival cartels such as Viagras and Jalisco’s cartel came in. And the shooting urged thousands of people to flee their homes.
Mexican troops sent troops to the state, both of which acted only as a buffer between cartels during the war, trying to keep them out of the territory of other gangsters.
However, soldiers do little or nothing about illegal gang activities that occur just a few hundred yards away from the checkpoint.
As a result, Michoacan residents are re-armed despite the rampant blackmail by Viagras, Jalisco, and other gangsters.
This time, the vigilant movement is mainly conducted in the avocado cultivation area, which was not the epicenter of the 2013 vigilantism.
As avocados became more widespread and lucrative crops, drug cartels and gangs began to impose protection from producers.
Previous “self-defense” groups were infiltrated or hijacked by drug gangs, but Pueblos Unidos leaders said they had nothing to do with any of the gangs during the war and were willing to put away their guns. ..
“We have never hijacked any town,” said one masked vigilant leader. “We are not part of a cartel, etc.”
500 vigilants gather in a Mexican town and vow to help police | WGN Radio 720
Source link 500 vigilants gather in a Mexican town and vow to help police | WGN Radio 720
The post 500 vigilants gather in a Mexican town and vow to help police | WGN Radio 720 appeared first on Illinois News Today.
No comments:
Post a Comment