The arrest of an alleged extortionist accused of demanding 3 million pesos from an avocado producer in Michoacán has led authorities to a suspected higher-ranking criminal operator, according to Milenio.
Dionicio M. E., known as “La Mincha,” was arrested August 10 in Peribán, in the heart of Michoacán’s avocado-producing region, after a producer reported allegedly receiving threats and demands for payment. According to Milenio, the suspect was arrested during a controlled payment operation organized by authorities.
Milenio reports that the alleged demand was particularly significant because the money was reportedly required simply for the producer to harvest his own avocados. The case highlights the way extortion has become embedded in parts of Michoacán’s avocado supply chain, affecting producers as well as other businesses involved in transportation and commerce.
According to the newspaper, investigators continued examining La Mincha’s alleged contacts and criminal activities following his arrest. That investigation reportedly led authorities to Heraclio Guerrero Martínez, alias “El Tío Lako,” whom authorities identify as a leader of Los Guerreros, a criminal structure allegedly linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in western Michoacán.
Milenio reports that La Mincha was subsequently placed in the custody of judicial authorities and charged with extortion, while a judge ordered preventive detention and granted prosecutors three months for further investigation.
The newspaper says the investigation demonstrates how a complaint involving an alleged 3-million-peso extortion demand against a single avocado producer ultimately provided authorities with a lead into a broader criminal network operating in the region.
