Restaurants disappear in Ensenada due to drug cartel extortion

The owner of the Mariscos El Compa Moy restaurant, Moisés Muñiz, announced the permanent closure of his business in Ensenada, Baja California. The establishment was located at 263 Jesús Sanzón Flores Street in the Escritores neighborhood, where he served local and visiting customers for years.

The decision was announced through a video posted on the business’s social media channels, in which the young entrepreneur explained that he was forced to close due to insecurity, extortion threats, and the extortion charges he was facing. He noted that, although the restaurant represented a personal dream, the current conditions made it unsustainable.

“My people, starting today, Mariscos El Compa Moy is closing its doors permanently due to insecurity in the municipality. When I am in a safe place with my family, I will send you an announcement with more details,” Muñiz said on the morning of Saturday, August 23.
The restaurateur explained that he had been working at Mariscos El Compa Moy for four years, a business he decided to close due to the threats he received.

“Today I join the ranks of restaurants in the seafood sector that are closing. Today I am one more business that is closing due to the insecurity we face, the extortion, and the protection money,” he explained. He recalled that he opened the establishment with enthusiasm and the desire to fulfill a personal goal that, he said, was taken away from him.

“I am a young entrepreneur who decided to open his own business with great enthusiasm to fulfill his dream, and today those dreams have been taken away, just like those of many of my colleagues in the industry.”

Moisés accused the authorities of failing to respond to the crisis under the slogan “nothing is happening,” and pointed out that violence is experienced even in broad daylight.

As an example, he mentioned the attack on Monday, August 18, when an armed attack on a fish market in Ensenada left one merchant dead and three people injured, as part of an escalation of violence against the sector in just over three weeks.