The government-protected drug cartels in Michoacan have been extorting citrus and avocado growers for years. While the situation has been ongoing, a recent case sparked much controversy when cartel gunmen murdered the leader of a citrus growers association who had been widely outspoken about the issue.
The controversy reached Mexico’s Senate, where various politicians questioned government officials during a hearing, claiming that widespread extortion by cartels has become the norm in the country.
The issue gained attention last weekend when Bernardo Bravo, the leader of a state citrus growers association, traveled from the capital of Michoacan, Morelia, to Apatzingan, Michoacan. Law enforcement sources revealed to Breitbart Texas that Bravo was set to meet with local growers regarding the ongoing extortion they were facing. Citrus growers had been dealing with rising extortion fees by the Blancos de Troya faction of the Los Viagras cartel. This criminal organization most recently joined forces with Cartel Jalisco New Generation.
ACVA leader Bernardo Bravo died at the hands of cartel gunmen for protesting extortions on citrus growers. (Credit: ACVA)
According to statements made by Michoacan’s Governor Alfredo Ramirez Bedolla, Bravo had traveled in an armored vehicle and had government-provided security; however, the detail pulled back when he arrived at a local citrus market in Apatzingan. Bedolla and his staff have tried to imply that Bravo’s citrus growers association in Michoacan had ties to organized crime. Bedolla is the same Mexican politician previously exposed by Breitbart Texas as being the nephew and cousin to two convicted drug cartel bosses. Despite constant claims of “working to improve” the security situation in Michoacan, drug cartels have been expanding their territories and continue to extort and kidnap not only citrus and avocado growers, but also several other businesses.
Sometime during the day, cartel gunmen took Bravo and murdered him. His relatives had reported him missing; however, it wasn’t until Monday that authorities found Bravo’s body inside his vehicle. It remains unclear what happened to the security detail.
The murder sparked widespread condemnation and controversy, which forced Mexico’s federal government into action. In a matter of days, the country’s top security official, Omar Garcia Harfuch, revealed that authorities had arrested Rigoberto “El Pantano” Lopez Mendoza, a top enforcer with the Blancos de Troya, for his alleged role in Bravo’s murder.
On Wednesday, during a report before Mexico’s Senate, Harfuch claimed that authorities had made a second arrest in the case. The comment came after politicians from rival parties had argued that extortion has become a way of life in Mexico.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at [email protected].