Amid the security and commercial crisis affecting the avocado sector, federal authorities arrested 12 people in Uruapan and Ziracuaretiro, including Cristian Maximiliano “N,” alias “X1,” who is allegedly linked to a cell of “Los Caballeros Templarios.”
The Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, announced the simultaneous execution of 11 search warrants following investigations into groups allegedly involved in extorting producers, merchants, transporters, and packing companies in Michoacán’s avocado, livestock, and meat sectors.
During the operations, authorities seized six firearms, vehicles, a signal jammer, tactical equipment, narcotics, and cash, according to information published by García Harfuch.
On August 5, it was announced that the United States had issued a security alert leading to the temporary suspension of avocado exports from Michoacán. The measure resulted in the withdrawal of food inspectors assigned to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) due to security concerns.
On August 10, President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged that U.S. inspectors had received threats.
In this context, the Secretariat of National Defense (Defensa) deployed more than 1,500 military personnel to reinforce security in Michoacán’s avocado-producing region, covering the metropolitan areas of Apatzingán, Aguililla, Buenavista, Cotija, Los Reyes, Peribán, Tingüindín, Tocumbo, and Zamora.
Source: lja
